Magiranger vs Mystic Force
by GreenNinja
Summary: When Nick futzes a spell, Makito, Houka, Urara, Tsubasa and Kai are brought to Briarwood, but so is a mysterious man known only as The Dragon Keeper. What lies in store for the ten magicians? Is something greater lurking in the shadows?
1. Briarwood's Peace Broken

**Mahou Sentai Magiranger vs. Power Rangers Mystic Force**  
_Jii Golu Nermax MagiBolt_

**Chapter 1: Briarwood's Peace Broken**

Throughout the universe there exists a force so powerful it can transcend the laws of nature itself. It is the power of magic. Magic is, by its own nature, intangible, but it can be controlled. The ones who control it go by many names – wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, magicians, mages, spellcasters – and they all seek to discover the many secrets of this great and powerful force.

Our story begins in the seemingly quiet, forested city of Briarwood. From the outside, Briarwood looked like any normal city. Yet its secrets lurked in the dark maze of trees on the city's edge. Five had entered that forest one day and found themselves imbued with the power of magic itself. To this day they had told no one of their discovery.

* * *

The Marudeyouna World was no place in particular. It had many different "zones", and whatever you wanted to go to, you went to. Feudal Japan, a silent snowfield, the Lake of Slumber in the Eternal Woods, a prehistoric jungle and more made up this multifaceted dimension. A distant corner of the Marudeyouna World was home to one in particular…and he had been planning for centuries. 

This section of the Marudeyouna World was known as the Dragon's Lair. Massive winged, scaled beasts of all sorts roared from the distant corners of the cave where they stayed. In a way they were an army created by the man who stood at the edge of a precarious cliff in the dark landscape. One misstep and he would tumble to his demise, but this mage was too good to let that happen.

His name was the Dragon Keeper. If it involved the powerful beasts in any shape or form, he could handle it. He wore a cloak made out of dragon scales and held a long, crooked, polished wooden staff with a dark-scaled, ivory clawed dragon foot holding an onyx crystal at the top. Through that crystal he watched another section of the expansive Marudeyouna landscape.

"Soon it will come to pass," he said, "this wood between the worlds shall become a battlefield, and those who lack courage shall run in with those who don't believe. If this is done right…I shall have more to command. My army shall grow, and then, only then, will I be ready to claim my place as the master of all dimensions, of time and space! It draws ever closer…"

* * *

The sun on the horizon spread its warmth through the treetops of the Briarwood forest. The inhabitants of the woods began to awaken from their slumber and prepare for another day. Walking between the trees was the short-haired Vida Rocca. Her black hair had a blonde streak running through it, and she was dressed in a blackish-brown overcoat with cape and pink fairy symbol. A gold cell phone emblazoned with an "M" was in her hand, and she walked in the direction of a hidden base in the middle of the woods – the Rootcore. 

"Lemme in," Vida said as she approached the massive dragon's-head made of wood built into the base of the tree, "Nick asked me to be here today. I dunno why, but I may as well get it over with." The tree dragon's mouth opened wide to reveal a tunnel to the library/magical room that was the Rootcore. Vida walked in, through the double doors, and into the room drenched in orangish-yellow light.

"Vida!" exclaimed Charlie "Chip" Thorn as she entered. Chip was wearing his magician's outfit, as was everybody, and his was clearly designed with the power of his yellow Garuda in mind. Chip had red hair and a look on his face that spoke of slightly clueless. "You're here. Cool. Sit down."

Vida sat down on a polished wooden chair and rested her elbow on a low-lying shelf. She placed two small earphones in her ears and listened to her music. It's not that Vida was actively anti-magic; it's more that she had been interrupted today for what appeared to be a meaningless task. In her spare time, Vida was a DJ, and what she was currently engaged in allowed her to choose a good set of songs for her next gig.

Madison, a girl dressed in a half-top vest with scrawling blue designs across it, sat down around the central table where the golden crystal ball lay and opened a book. Madison brushed back her black hair and sighed. "Just another day," she thought, "Nick discovered some new spell in the Xenotome; he said it looked as thought it was the beginning of a new chapter. Maybe he wants to try it out."

Madison's bag lay in the corner of the room. In it were her camera and various supplies. As much as mixing magic and technology was forbidden, Madison wanted to keep her dream close by. She was an amateur filmmaker with aspirations of becoming an artiste of the silver screen, but that was a long way off. It didn't mean she couldn't keep striving, though.

Chip sat down beside Madison as Xander walked in after him. Xander's outfit was adorned with green Taurus symbols, and his short brownish-black hair shone in the dull light of the Rootcore. He sat opposite Madison and rested his head in his arms. The recent string of attacks had worn them out greatly. "What's Nick doing back there?" Xander asked, "It's just a spell…shouldn't be any tougher than tying your own shoes."

In the back room of the tree-bound base, Nick was holding his Mystic Morpher in hand and reading from an ancient text. "Okay…" Nick said, "I think I've got this right." The Mystic Morpher was opened to wand mode; Nick held it over the book. "_Galwit_…Maestro…" the Red Ranger slapped his hand to his forehead, "NO! That's not right at all! Perhaps I should do it where the others can see."

Nick took the Xenotome in hand and walked out into the main room. He laid the ancient text before him and took out his Mystic Morpher. The cover was flipped open, and the top did the same as it became shaped rather like a wand. Vida turned away from her music to see what he was going to do.

"Clare said this spell has only been performed once before," he said, "well, that's about to change." He pointed the red tip of the Mystic Morpher at no particular point in the room and pressed a series of buttons; each button responded with a musical tone. "_Galwit…Du…Mysto_…" Nick pressed "Enter" on the morpher and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. Madison stood up and placed her arm around Nick's shoulder.

"So you didn't succeed the first time," she said, "It's probably really advanced magic. Just keep trying…I'll watch." Nick looked down at the tome and saw that he had forgotten something entirely – a fourth syllable. It was written in what looked like Japanese text, but he couldn't be sure. "_Galwit Tan_," said Nick. The symbols swirled around like ink snakes upon the page and took a clearer form.

"So THAT'S it," Nick gasped, "I get it now."

Nick moved to the back of the room and pointed his Mystic Morpher at the crystal ball. He spoke each word with confidence and pride, as if he were certain the spell would come to light this time. "_Galwit…Du…Mysto…MAJI_!" Nick pressed "Enter" once more; the tip of the Mystic Morpher lit up and sparked. A tendril of golden electricity hit the crystal ball on the table and narrowly avoided striking Vida.

"Are you crazy?" Madison blurted, "None of our spells have used '_Maji_' as a syllable. It must be forbidden magic! Were you ever sure it was safe?" Nick's Mystic Morpher was almost bound to his hand; he tried to slide it from his grip, but to no avail. The room felt as though it was compressing in, although that was hardly the case. Vida, Xander and Chip stood at Madison's side as they saw the lightning dance about the crystal ball.

"The Xenotome has no way to reverse it," Nick quietly spoke, "Whatever happens from here…happens. I don't know if it's for better or worse, but we should brace for anything…and I mean ANYTHING." The feeling of distortion stopped. Time itself in the room ground to a halt. The sparks consolidated into a single jolt of electricity in the center of the crystal ball. That electric sphere vanished out of sight, as though it had fizzled out.

"Whew," Nick wiped sweat from his forehead, "We're safe."

Chip interrupted. "I think you spoke too soon."

The spark had only imploded. An explosion of light and energy radiated out from the crystal ball. It spread through the Rootcore, out the windows, and into the forest. When the wave washed over Nick he could feel a fire rising up inside him. This wave was seriously increasing his magical abilities to a point they had never been at before, and would probably never be at again.

The wave stopped just as it reached the edge of the mystical forest and, like the spark of lightning, retracted back into the Rootcore. The wave of energy was replaced by a sucking vacuum force drawing the Mystic Force Rangers closer to the table with every passing second. Madison grabbed hold of Nick's stomach, Chip grabbed Madison's chest, Vida gripped Chip's shoulders, and Xander held Vida's waist. Nick, having nothing to hold onto, kept his Mystic Morpher tethered to the black hole to the unknown drawing them in.

"Nick, you fool!" Xander groaned, "What did you do?"

"I wasn't INTENDING for this to happen," Nick shrugged.

"If you kill us all, I'm never forgiving you," Vida snarled.

"MAYBE we'll survive," Chip chimed in.

"Now's not the time," Madison directed at the Yellow Ranger.

"…I said MAYBE," Chip blurted.

In what they hoped was the final phase of the spell, the vacuum changed course and became a gale-force wind. Less than a second later the five Rangers were slammed into the wall. Vida rubbed her head and looked at Nick once more. "That's it. I'm going home." Vida would never get that chance, for the Rootcore suddenly held more than five people within.

A dense, chromatic fog had filled the main chamber. Five cloaked figures were barely visible in the dim morning light, and each of them was holding a small device that looked very much like a Mystic Morpher. Nick, Madison, Chip, Xander and Vida stood up and looked through the mist. Visibility had been reduced to naught, but they could vaguely hear the figures talking amongst themselves in a language unintelligible.

"Are you friend or foe?" Nick pointed his Mystic Morpher at the one in the center. A ring of red flame swirled at his feet in anger. The center body responded in that same language; Nick couldn't make a word of it. He turned his head towards his friends and asked that they huddle to decide what to do with these newcomers.

"So, any advice?"

"I say we get rid of this mist first," Madison suggested.

"They seem friendly…" Chip shrugged, "well, at least from what I could understand, they did."

"I'll try and reason with them," said Xander.

"No, Nick will talk. HE'S the one who brought them here," Vida said in a low, catty tone.

"Fine, I'll talk," sighed Nick, "here goes nothing."

"Friends from another world," Nick began, "while I do not know you, and you do not know me, I wish for us to get to know each other so that we may have an idea of where to go from here. Speak and let us know what we should do." He backed away just in case.

Once more the center figure stepped forward. He asked of them a question.

"Densetsu no Gonin no Mahou Tsukai?"


	2. Mystic Doppelgangers

**Chapter 2: Mystic Doppelgangers**

"Densetsu no Gonin no Mahou Tsukai?"

"What did he just say?" Chip arched his eyebrow.

"ALRIGHT!" Vida said, "Aerotan!" A gust of pink wind swept the room and cleared away the multicolored mist that had been hovering in it for the past several minutes. The five figures suddenly became visible. To Nick's surprise, they weren't invaders from another world, but rather people…people like them.

Each of them wore a long, black cloak with the "M" the Mystic Force Rangers were familiar with on the chest. The five threw off their cloaks in unison to reveal vibrantly-colored jackets in red, yellow, blue, pink and green. Each jacket had their respective symbol in the upper corner and plaid markings on the arms and near the waist. Madison pointed out they were also wearing necklaces and rings in the same color pattern.

The furthest to the left had brown hair, leather pants and a serious, impatient look on his face. Next to him was a girl with silky black hair, a blue jean skirt, and tennis shoes. To the right of the center figure was a girl with brown hair, a white skirt, and pink boots. Beside her was a man with long, black hair and black pants. The center boy, clearly the youngest of them all, had short black hair with black pants and tennis shoes. They were all Japanese in appearance.

"Den what?" Chip continued to wonder.

"What he's trying to say is…Magicians…Magitopia…" started the one in green in broken English. Things weren't much clearer. Then the one in green had his Mystic Morpher (or so they thought it was) beep twice. He pointed the tip in the air between the two groups of five, pressed the keys 4-1, and "Enter."

"_Majiine Maaji_!" he proclaimed. A heavenly voice echoed the spell. A tiny wave of energy swept over the ten. When the boy in red spoke again Nick understood what he was saying…it was in English this time.

"Are you the Five Legendary Magicians?" asked the boy.

"Five Legendary Magicians?" laughed Nick, "Hardly."

"Then…who ARE you?" said the man in yellow.

"Wait a sec…we can understand you now?" queried a confused Chip.

"Yes, you can," explained the man in green, "we stood strong when we were brought here, and got a new spell from Magitopia for it." Xander noted that word…"Magitopia"…had been used again. "_Majiine Maaji_ eliminates the language barrier between us and allows us to communicate with each other. Now, have we introduced ourselves?"

"Not really," Chip commented.

"Ozu Kai," said the boy in red as he shook Nick's hand, "and you would be…?"

"Nick. Nick Russell," said Nick, "Ozu? As in…'Oz'?"

"Something like that," interrupted the man in green, "Ozu Makito's the name."

"Xander Bly," Xander shook Makito's hand, "someone rather like myself, I see."

"Let's get this over with," sighed the man in yellow, "Ozu Tsubasa."

"Charlie Thorn," said Chip happily, "Call me 'Chip'."

"Ozu Urara," said the girl in blue, "You're very pretty."

"Madison, same to you," said Madison in reply.

When Madison shook Urara's hand she felt something crash within her soul. Although she had never met Urara before in her life, she could find herself being…in-touch with her all too easily. The disappearance of a woman in white was the one that stood out to Madison the most. To think that both she and Urara could have gone through the same experience was confusing, but somehow felt right.

"Ozu Houka-chan! Pose of determination, version up!" Houka struck her pose by placing her index and middle fingers near her eyes in a sideways "V" formation. "Who's the new girl?"

"Vida Rocca," Vida said, "Stop trying to be so cutesy."

"Cutesy?"

"Yes, cutesy. You're making me sick."

"But this is Houka's pose!"

"You're being annoying."

"Are you TRYING to aggravate me?"

"I could be, couldn't be…who knows?"

"I say you are…and I'm not going to let a skunk-haired priss like you put me down!"

"Skunk…haired…priss? That's it, Houka…I'm showing you who REALLY wears the boots around here." Vida, her face in an unflattering snarl, grabbed Houka by her collar and pinned her down against the table.

Houka, in retaliation, stomped her feet on Vida's cape and sent her tumbling to the ground. Vida made a move for the Ozu girl's hair as the other eight watched in total shock. "Houka, stop this! Now!" Makito yelled, "As your older brother, I'm telling you to show some respect to our new friends!"

"She was asking for it," Xander said, "that pose could drive anyone batty."

"Vida was probably having a bad day," Urara said, "I've been like that at times."

"She was having a day," Madison intervened, "that's sis for you."

"That gives her no right to treat Houka like that!" Makito said to Xander.

"Should we say anything?" Nick asked.

"Not sure…" Kai wondered.

"So, Tsu, whatcha doin'?" Chip asked.

"Taking this fight to where it belongs," Tsubasa said, "_Maaji Jiruma Majuna_." He entered the code 1-2-9 on his MagiPhone and teleported all ten away in a flash of a golden Mahou circle.

They landed in the middle of an empty forest glade; the creatures that lived in the woods gathered 'round to watch. Houka kicked Vida on the side of her body with one of her pink boots, and both sides, wanting to protect the ones they cared about, had their tempers flare so much that the inevitable fight broke out when Nick placed his hand on Kai's shoulder and whispered "Showtime."

Xander and Makito were using their upper body strength in a wrestler-like tussle for control. Xander's came from his training, while Makito's came from hours toiling in the fields of the Aniki farm for his family. Xander slammed Makito into a nearby tree, only to find the eldest brother of the family Ozu tossing him to the ground. Xander drew his Mystic Morpher.

"The joke's on you, Makito," he quipped.

Xander created a column of vines around him and lifted himself into the treetops. Makito was distraught at having his target get away, but wasn't about to lose just yet. Makito opened his MagiPhone and pointed it to the treetops. Controlling nature was his specialty, and he was about to command the woods themselves to find his target.

2-7 was pressed on the golden cellular. "_Jiruma Majika_!" Makito hollered as he pressed down on the "Enter" key. Green light radiated outward and swayed the trees in Makito's direction. Xander, his waist bound by vines, was nervously chuckling at the Ozu who had outdone him.

"We can work this out, right?" he said sheepishly.

"I have my ways," Makito said, "_JIRUMA MAJIKA_!" The vines tossed Xander across the sky. He skidded across the ground. His uniform had been dirtied, but he would keep fighting. He'd keep fighting until he won. Neither side was willing to give in for this fight of fights.

A good distance away, Vida and Houka were still trying to pummel each other into submission. Vida had let go of her cape and pink-embroidered vest to leave only her white shirt beneath on her body. Houka knew she had the Legend Power within her, and decided to utilize it to its fullest. Vida approached her with her sleeves rolled up and her fists readied.

"PINK STORM!" Houka screamed. From her mouth shot a funnel of pink wind aimed at Vida. Vida pushed through and delivered a powerful kick to Houka's stomach. Houka fell to the ground and kicked Vida in the chest with her own boots. Both girls were down, but not defeated. "You think you're good at this, aren't you?" Vida smirked, "We're just getting started, Hou-chan."

Urara and Madison had teleported alongside each other to the one place in the woods where they knew they could fight – the lake. Both had their phones out and ready. The fight began when Madison grabbed Urara by her shoulders and threw her into the water. While Urara's turquoise jacket was drenched, she was now in her element. The second girl of the Ozu family took out something from her jacket pocket.

"What's that?" Madison asked. It was small, outlined in gold, and had a shining, sparkling, navy-blue background with the image of a pale pearl crystal ball on it. The word "Fortune" was written beneath it on a golden "scroll" design in stylistic, black-inked calligraphy. Urara pointed her MagiPhone's tip to the card.

She chanted quickly, "_Maji Jijiru_" and touched the crystal ball on the MagiTicket. Blue light radiated outward as Urara saw the fortune of Madison. She saw a torrent of water heading in Madison's direction with her riding atop it. Urara gave a self-satisfied smirk and motioned her hand towards the Blue Mystic Force Ranger. "Your fortune has been read. See what your future holds…"

"Don't try to pull anything on me," Madison said, "I can even the odds." Madison aimed her Mystic Morpher at the water and shot several geyser-like streams up around Urara. Madison swept her Morpher in a wavy motion and watched the geysers converge into one rising column of water. "She's done with."

Madison turned her back and prepared to walk away, only to be confronted with Urara's vision come true. She rode atop the geyser and redirected Madison's own burst back at her. Both Madison and Urara had washed ashore, but Madison retaliated by swinging her legs like a mermaid's tail. Urara grabbed Madison's legs and threw HER into the water instead.

"Who's wining now?" Urara said as she proudly stood up.

"You got lucky," Madison growled, "Lucky. That's all."

Tsubasa had been hiding in the bottom of a hollowed-out tree trunk with a miniature cauldron in front of him this whole time. Chip was left aimlessly wandering around trying to find his adversary, but not even his control over light could pierce the thick darkness covering this particular section of the Briarwood forest. Tsubasa drew his MagiPhone and opened it to wand mode.

"_Jinga Majiiro_," he pressed 5-6 and watched as the cauldron's contents bubbled and condensed into a sparkling yellow liquid. Tsubasa scooped the liquid into a crystal vial and walked out into the forest. "This will be just the way to show up that foolish redhead," he thought, "let him get in the first strike…then the battle goes to me."

Chip sent flares and sparks of light from his Mystic Morpher to pierce the darkness until one of the flares revealed Tsubasa leaning against a strong oak tree. "There you are!" Chip exclaimed, "Hi-yah!" A bolt of lightning flung outward, but Tsubasa downed his concoction in one sip and avoided the blast completely. Chip found Tsubasa grabbing him underneath his arms.

"What are you doing? How…did you do that?" he groaned.

"Potions master extraordinaire," Tsubasa said, "This one is the Draught of Refraction. In the blink of an eye I can redirect any of your light and lightning-based attacks. You don't even know who you're dealing with."

Tsubasa swung his arms out like a bird spreads its wings, and knocked Chip aside. Chip fired beam after beam from his Mystic Morpher, but Tsubasa dodged every one with ease. The second-youngest of the Ozu siblings grabbed Chip and threw him into the side of a large, smooth rock. Chip rubbed his head and prepared for battle once more.

"You're pretty good," he admitted.

"…and don't you forget it," smirked Tsubasa.

Nick and Kai were at the forest's edge. Kai found himself surrounded by an arrow-shaped formation of trees. He was in plain view of the slowly advancing Nick with no visible means of escape. Then he remembered his skill in magic – alchemy and transfiguration. Kai pointed his MagiPhone at the row of trees and swept it through the air. "_Jiruma Majiiro_!"

The trees' bark transformed into a silvery, reflective, mirror-like material. Nick's footsteps were heard from a distance. Kai jumped into the center of the clustering of mirrors and waited for Nick to pass him by. When the Red Mystic Force Ranger approached, he saw not one, but SIX Kais staring him down. "There's only one way to win," he said, "fry 'em until one remains."

Nick launched a stream of fire from his Mystic Morpher at the rightmost Kai. The mirror cracked and revealed charred bark underneath as glass fragments fell to the ground. The leftmost and uppermost Kais were false as well. "The angle of reflection…" Nick thought, "I got it!" He lunged at the Kai standing dead center and slugged him across the side of his face. Kai fell to the ground, motionless, and transformed into a tree stump.

"How did I fall for that?" Nick asked.

"I know why," Kai said from between two of the burned trees, "you and your friends lack the yuuki to use magic properly. Now, prepare for your defeat!"

Kai charged for Nick and Nick for Kai, but the two shared clumsiness, and when they bumped into each other two golden phones went spinning across the ground. Each looked identical to the other, right down to the phoenix symbol embedded in fire visible in the clear glass window above the buttons.

"If you want to play that way, I'll play that way," Nick grabbed one phone.

"Such a lack of courage is unforgivable," Kai replied; he took the other phone.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

"Heavenly Saint, grant me the power of magic! Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Majiiro_!"

Nick pressed "1-2-3" in sequence while Kai typed in "1-0-6". Both pressed "Enter" and held their phones to the sky. They waited for the familiar signs: the appearance of the magical circles, the descending of Flagel, and the suiting-up into the Red suits they wore when defending from underground attacks. None of that happened.

"What's wrong with this thing?" Nick smacked his phone several times, "Come on, morph me already! I entered the spell and everything!"

"This is unusual," Kai thought, "Unlike with Gaston, I have my courage with me. This should be working! But why isn't it?"

Nick pressed random buttons on his phone, changing it back to phone mode, and saw an image appear in the screen in the upper half. He knew that the Mystic Morphers could be used as camera phones if possible, but he didn't recognize the girl he saw in the picture. She was about 17, Japanese in appearance, and wearing a school uniform. He held the phone out to Kai.

"Do you recognize her?" he said confusedly.

"YAMAZAKI-SAN!" Kai exclaimed as he snatched the phone from Nick's hand, "That's my MagiPhone! Give it back!"  
"Your MagiPhone?" Nick asked, "So I take it Yamazaki's the girl?"

"Well…kind of," Kai said nervously. As Nick continued to be entranced by Yuka Yamazaki, Kai thought to himself about the sudden turn of events. The Mystic Force Rangers were the same as he and his siblings in every regard, from their elements down to their base. Yet, when Kai tried to henshin using Nick's phone, he achieved nothing. There was only one way that was possible….

"Nii-chan, nee-chan!" Kai yelled into Nick's Mystic Morpher, "STOP!" His voice resounded across the forest. The fights were reaching their breaking point, and had Nick not called everything to a halt the consequences would have been disastrous.

Xander and Makito had locked hands as they struggled for control. Then, from Xander's Mystic Morpher, Kai's voice rang through. Makito loosened his grip and spoke into his MagiPhone. "Kai, why are we stopping?" Kai's voice answered through Xander's phone once more. "I can't tell you why right now, but come to the forest glade immediately. That will be all."

"You heard him," said Xander, "That's where we're going. It's a draw."

"Right," Makito nodded, "a draw."

Houka and Vida had been brawling the most intensely of the warring magicians. Vida's shirt had been ripped to expose her shoulders, and Houka had lost all but one button on her pink jacket. Vida grappled Houka into a headlock and looked down at her struggling face. Both of them were dripping with sweat and starting to tire, but Vida wasn't about to give in.

"Skunk-haired priss, am I? I wear pink MUCH better than you, Hou-chan…and I HATE this color like you wouldn't believe. Face it; the only way you can win now is by giving in. I'm not about to…"

"STOP!" yelled Kai's voice through Vida's Mystic Morpher.

"Kai?" Houka questioned weakly.

"What do you want, Ozu?" Vida snarled.

"He said to stop!" Nick replied, "Come to the glade as quick as you can."

"Feel lucky, Houka," Vida said as she let the Magician of the Pink go, "this is me on a GOOD day." Vida and Houka stayed a sizable distance apart and walked in the direction of the forest glade.

Madison and Urara had become drenched since their fight began. Their black hair hung limply over their heads and their uniforms were soaked. Madison pushed her long hair aside and looked at Urara. "You're pretty good," she said, "skilled in Divination?" Urara nodded and took off her turquoise-blue jacket and left nothing but a blue-gray undershirt beneath.

"_MAJIKA_!" Madison was hit by a stream of water and left struggling to get up when Kai's calming voice came through her morpher. Urara took Madison's morpher in hand and helped her stand on her own two feet once more. "Kai?" she asked. The Mystic Morpher pinpointed Kai and Nick's location in the Briarwood forest. Urara grabbed the weary Madison by the hand and dragged her off.

Chip had managed to pin Tsubasa down once he figured out how. Tsubasa could deflect all of his elemental attacks – so the way to go about it was by pure brawn. Chip was preparing to gloat in victory when he and the Ozu sibling received Kai's word. The Yellow Mystic Force eagerly let Tsubasa go and shook his hand, hastily, as if he wanted to make amends.

"Heat of the moment," he said while blushing, "didn't mean any of that."

"You didn't need to apologize," said Tsubasa, "let's go. Whatever Kai's telling us to stop this petty feud for, we have to check. As a family, we stick together. Do YOU have those bonds among your team? I'd like to know that."

Chip didn't answer, but simply walked along.

Urara and Vida had placed their jackets back on by the time they joined up with Kai and Nick. Makito placed his MagiPhone to Houka's jacket and activated a spell with the combination "4-4". "Majiine Majiine," he spoke. Houka's pink jacket returned to normal in no time. As Xander checked for bruises he looked over to Nick and asked what was up. Nick and Kai exchanged phones before speaking.

"Nii-chan, nee-chan," Kai began, "I'm not sure of how to say this, but…hmm…"

"What?" Houka asked.

"I think these…Rangers…we've been fighting are…ourselves. We must've stumbled into another dimension."

"We WHAT?" said Makito in shock.

"I don't know how to explain it EXACTLY," Kai said, "but the similarities are there. When I took Nick's Mystic Morpher," he looked aside to Nick and whispered "Is that what you call it?" Nick nodded in reply. "Right, Mystic Morpher, I had a feeling unlike anything else I've ever felt before.

"My magic, borne of Magitopia, is divine, and sacred. Your Mystic Morpher's magic, however, was rawer. It felt more natural, more heroic…more drawn from the earth. It felt medieval, like the kind of magic Merlin or King Arthur would've used. I'm not saying it's unfamiliar, but it is slightly discomforting for someone so used to Magitopia's holy, courage-borne magic.

"This could only mean one thing. Nick, your magic and mine are very similar, but very different. This is why, I suspect, we're no longer home. Not in our world, but not the Marudeyouna World either. This is a completely different Earth altogether."

"So we're almost like twins?" Nick said in shock, "Wow."

"That's why I saw inside your mind," Madison revealed as she looked at Urara, "when we shook hands."

"I could see yours as well," said Urara, "It was unsettling…but calming, too. Like I knew that you had been through what I had, and we thought the same. Felt the same things. Almost as if we were the same person."

"Maybe the Magiranger and the Mystic Force should spend some time with each other," Tsubasa said, "The more we know about ourselves; the more certain we are that we're close, then and only then may we find a way to get home. It's the best course of action."

"He's got a point," Vida sighed, "even if I have to be with YOU, Houka."

"What's that!" Houka screamed as she pointed at the sky.

Ten heads turned to observe something over the forests of Briarwood. It was about the size and shape of a Sky Hoki, except that a menacing dragon's head was in the front. A cloaked figure rode atop it and laughed. He looked down at the Magiranger and Mystic Force before holding an hourglass and speaking menacingly.

"The crossing of the dimensions has begun! When I forge my alliances, there shall be a new ruler of the world – and it shall be me! Cherish these moments while you can, for they will be the last you ever have! Remember my words and remember my name! For I am….THE DRAGON KEEPER!" The Keeper exited on his black-and-blue dragon Sky Hoki.

"'Crossing of the dimensions?'" asked Makito.

"We must go see this town where you live," said Tsubasa, "What is it?"

"Follow us," Chip replied, "If we're to cherish these moments, we may as well do so in the friendliest little town in the western United States. Ozu family, I welcome you to Briarwood!"


	3. The Xenotome's Lost Chapter

**Chapter 3: The Xenotome's Lost Chapter**

"Have you heard?" the news had quickly spread across Briarwood, "There's no longer just five magicians, but TEN here. Where did the other five come from?" Nobody knew that the Magiranger were walking among them in spite of the vibrantly-colored plaid jackets adorned with the five symbols they wore. When asked why as they walked into town, Houka made sure to explain.

"When Kaa-san gave these to us," Houka pointed to her Fairy symbol, "along with our cloaks, we found that they were made of a magically-enchanted fabric. The cloak can increase our power and make us invisible if used with the hat. The jackets are a different story. They, along with the necklaces, identify us as the Magiranger," she shook the pink gem around her neck to further her point, "The fabric makes it so that even the most intelligent of people," she shoved Xander near her Fairy emblem, "could look at it for days and never figure out that we are the Five Magicians. That's how it works."

"Most impressive magic," Xander commented. Houka blushed.

"So, what do you do in Briarwood?" Kai asked, "You're only about my age, aren't you? I'm a soccer player at my high school. That's how I know Yamazaki."

"Who?" Chip asked.

"Some girl," Nick said, "Now come on, we have to show you the place we work at."

"Nii-chan works at Aniki Farms," Kai said.

"Yeah…" Makito said, "I'll see if I can get you some of my fruits and vegetables if we ever go back to our own world."

"That's nice," Chip said, "Now, welcome to the Rockporium."

Toby, the usual slightly dazed look on his face, greeted the five. Houka had spoken the truth. In spite of the five's blaringly bright outfits there was no sign he recognized Kai, Tsubasa, Urara, Houka and Makito as magicians. "Hey, Toby," Madison said as she pointed her camera at the five Ozu siblings and told Toby their names. Toby shook their hands and introduced himself.

"I'm Toby," he said, "So, you friends of theirs?"

"You could say that," said Tsubasa snidely.

Madison and Vida changed into their employee outfits as Houka, not caring that she was in public, waved her MagiPhone above her head. "Changing! _Maaji Majiiro_!" Pink light swirled around her body and transformed her into a sugar-pink boombox that now lay on the counter. Chip, not knowing better, pressed the boombox's "Play" button and heard a giggling sound come out of the speakers.

"Go on, keep doing that," Houka giggled, "I like it."

"Did the boombox just talk to you?" Nick asked.

Pink light flashed again as the box returned to its normal state of Houka Ozu. Toby had noticed nothing. The Magician of the Pink walked over to Toby and patted him on the shoulder. "You look pretty nice," she said, "Maybe we can go out on a date sometime?" Jaws dropped.

"Okay," Xander spoke. Madison pointed the camera at Houka and Toby, "This is odd as all-get-out. Houka's, well, a cute girl, so why would she be asking TOBY on a date? The man's not a bad person, but he's kind of…eccentric." Urara grabbed Xander by his shirt collar and whispered into his ear. He had to know a little more about Houka to make sense of this.

"She's dated WORSE than your boss," Urara said in a low voice, "She almost MARRIED slap-my-ass Tetsuya the Photo Geek some time ago. We're almost LUCKY that Skull attacked and forced her to call the wedding plans off. Of course, Tetsuya tried to marry her again later, but my point is that Toby may actually be a step UP for Houka."

"Got it," Xander replied.

Houka turned her attention to Vida. Vida Rocca was now mixing music a short distance away from where Houka had been. Houka placed her finger on one of the records and listened to it screech to a halt. The Ozu siblings turned their heads in anticipation of the animosity Houka had only worked to further between her and her counterpart.

"What…did you…do THAT for?" Vida growled.

"That music is too distracting," Houka said cheerily, "What you need is some music to cheer you up! Like this," she withdrew a CD from her jacket's pocket (the same one that had been in her when she was the boombox) and placed it into Vida's sound system. A quirky, sprightly tune started up. Houka grabbed one of the Rockporium's microphones and began to sing.

An astounded Vida asked, "What song IS this?"

"Yahoo!" Houka exclaimed, "This is Houka-chan no teemu songu. 'Ai no Kaze'!"

"Can someone translate that?" Nick questioned.

"It's her theme song," Madison explained, "'Breeze of Love'…I don't know either."

_Ai no kaze sora wo kakete yuku_

_Ikanakucha seigi no mahou kake ni_

_Kimama ni koi wo shitari moderu shitari oshare ga daisuki_

_Watashi-rashiku aru tame ni mo zettai hazusenai jikan_

_Deeto no tochuu taihen kinkyuu kooru ga hibiku_

_Ai no kaze sora wo kakete yuku_

_Ikanakucha seigi no mahou kake ni_

_Hakobu yume donna toki datte_

_Jibun no chikara shinji kaketsukeru_

_Yaru toki wa yaru kimeta kono ketsui no poozu_

Once Houka finished singing, the boys figured they'd go out and spend some time on the town. Nick went with Kai, Xander with Makito, and Chip with Tsubasa. Toby once again examined their uniforms. The bright colors…the symbols…it had to add up. "It's probably just a coincidence," he thought, "So, ladies, you may now return to your jobs. It's what I pay you for."

* * *

Tsubasa and Chip had traveled to a grassy meadow in Briarwood. Several sandbag dummies were set up. Chip drew a wooden bow and a sling of arrows; he placed the sling about his back and loaded the bow. Tsubasa leaned against a nearby haystack and communicated with his Mystic counterpart. Ever since he'd been warped to this dimension he'd been thinking about everything that had occurred; Chip's sheer enthusiasm compared to his cynicism was the one on his mind the most.

"It's hard to believe we're the same person," Tsubasa commented, "You and I are so…different, Chip. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're more the MagiGreen type. Even in your name – Chip Thorn. Very much like a farmer. Like Makito. I take it you're into archery?"

"Thanks, but Yellow works for me," Chip said as he let an arrow fly, "and the bow's pretty cool, too. Us being the same? I can believe it. Believing in something is all it takes to make it real to you. And in spite of our differences, I can see we have something in common, Tsubasa. The determination to succeed. Believing in magic is all it takes to make it work." He let loose another arrow. This one bounced off a dummy and rebounded towards Tsubasa. "Sorry about that."

Tsubasa caught the arrow in his hand with an air of impeccable calmness. The Magician of the Yellow snapped it between his fist and looked to Chip. "Your belief works for some time, yes, but courage…courage is the true power. Yuuki. That's the one thing I know for sure. I'm more of a boxing man myself, but I'd like to test your bow." Chip handed Tsubasa his bow.

Tsubasa loaded an arrow from the sling, aimed it at one of the sandbag dummies, and let the arrow fly. It landed squarely in the dummy's heart and sent a stream of sand flowing from the bag.

"Wow…nice shot," Chip commented.

"It was nothing."

* * *

Xander and Makito were on the streets of Briarwood in front of the Rockporium. Xander cruised along on his skateboard while Makito walked alongside him. Makito, the oldest Ozu sibling, had wondered why Xander had taken his place in this dimension. Xander was no older than anybody else, and seemed rather lazy compared to Mr. Green himself. Makito turned to his counterpart and questioned.

"Why do you think you're the one with the element of the roaring earth?"

"Why do I?" Xander replied, "I keep everyone in line back at the Rockporium. Without me, no work would get done. Toby's not much of a boss as it is."

"So you support them?"

"You could say that."

"What do you think about…family, Xander?"

"Mine's pretty nice. Mum gets on my nerves sometimes, though."

"I mean about supporting one of your own."

"…that? Xander's not a one-woman man. I'm not going to be thinking about that for awhile, Makito."

"But consider it, though. When I supported my brothers and sisters, I found they gave me the feeling that everything I did was for them. It…inspired me. Gave me the courage to stand up for what I believed in. Just think about it, okay?"

"Will do," Xander stepped off his skateboard. His and Makito's phones sounded a tone, as had the rest. Xander, Makito, Vida, Houka, Madison, Urara, Chip and Tsubasa regrouped in front of the Rockporium.

"Through the trees," Xander said.

"Right," replied the others with a nod. One by one they filed through the large tree and into the other realm where the Rootcore lay. Nick and Kai had received the message as well, but they were too busy to respond. Other matters had taken up their time some distance away from the record store.

* * *

"What do you need the cycle for?" Kai asked, "Do you not have a Sky Hoki?"

"Mystic Racer?" Nick asked, "Don't care for that. Bikes have always been my thing. I only fixed this baby up so I could keep it with Udonna pestering me about it. It also made it faster, increased the systems, that kind of stuff."

"With Rensei magic you can accomplish so much more than that," Kai took out his MagiPhone, "watch."

Kai pointed the phone's wand-tip at a nearby stop sign. "_Jiruma Majiiro_." Red light sparked forward and hit the stop sign's equally red face. The sign shone red before transforming into a Hollywood-style spotlight aimed at Nick. "Rensei magic?" Nick asked, "I can't do that. Control over fire and heat, but nothing more. …should I be able to?"

"If you can't, I think I have an idea why," Kai said while tapping his foot.

"I believe in magic, okay?"

"Believing has nothing to do with it, Nick. True magic takes strong emotion…the strongest of which is yuuki. With great yuuki comes a great thing. You could probably be a master of Rensei magic if you applied the same heart and courage into magic that you do into fixing up your bike."

"Stop it with the crazy talk."

"It isn't crazy! The same feelings have done much for my family. They saved Kaa-san and Tou-san and allowed me and my siblings to get through many tough scrapes. You may not have the bonds of family working for you, Nick, but the bonds of friendship should be more than enough to bring about the magic you wish to achieve. I'll say no more. Clare calls us."

Nick and Kai took their broomsticks into the forest and to the massive tree jutting from the forest floor. They went through the dragon's-head entrance, up the elevator, and through the double doors. Clare and Udonna were waiting with the other eight for their Red Rangers to arrive.

* * *

Clare was the bumbling apprentice of Udonna. Her scraggly blonde hair fell over her eyes as she swept her room in the Rootcore. "I know someday I'll get there," Clare muttered to herself, "There's a wand with my name on it. The wand chooses the wizard…or witch…doesn't it? For now the closest thing I have to a wand is this broom, and I want to get myself as far away from cleaning spells as possible."

Clare set the broom in its holding rack on the wall and sat down on her bed. "_Matelas Leviosa_." Her bed lifted up from the spot where its wooden posts touched the floor. Clare figured if she raised herself, she'd raise her spirits. As the bed rocked from side to side, Clare glanced down at her wall. There was a mysterious crack in the wall that the sorceress-in-training vaguely remembered seeing before. "My secret hiding spot!"

Clare leapt from the bed and extended her hand into the crack. A stack of papers written in the language of the ancients was in her hand when she pulled it out. Clare could read this language, as all magic users could. "Chapter the 0th of the Xentome, Book the Unknown," she read over the text, "…long, long ago, there…" Clare's eyes widened in surprise as she dashed into the main room of the Rootcore; there was news to tell.

* * *

"Kai, Tsubasa, Urara, Houka, and Makito Ozu," said Udonna, "at last we meet." Udonna was an older woman in a flowing white dress, and the one who both owned and operated the Rootcore. She had lost her power to Knight Wolf some time before this, but decided to keep training the Briarwooders regardless. Kai looked into her eyes and whispered something under his breath.

"Kaa-san." Udonna had the same calming, motherly feeling as Miyuki, and Kai could tell it clear as day.

"So I remind you of your mother?" Udonna asked, "That does not surprise me. Do you wish to go back to your dimension, Kai? I'll see if the Xenotome has anything about it."

"It doesn't," Madison chimed in, "I read it several times to make sure. Nothing about the Magiranger, Infershia, or Majin of any sort are mentioned. I think we've finally found something truly unknown for the Book of the Unknown…"

"UDONNA!" Clare rushed in with the stack of papers in her hand.

"What is it, Clare?"

"Check this."

Clare placed the pages, one by one, on the table. Udonna began to read. "Chapter the 0th of the Xenotome, Book of the Unknown…"

"Zeroth Chapter?" Clare said, "Let me read these. They were in my room." Clare leaned over and read what the pages had to say.

"Long, long ago…"

* * *

_"Long, long ago there were Five Legendary Magicians. These five held the power embedded within the DialRod and the Majin of Miracles – MagiLegend. They fought against the Hades Pantheon, a construct of ten of the vilest and feared gods the world had ever known. With their passion, knowledge, affection, hope, resolution, and above all, courage, they sealed the Pantheon away in a subterranean valley for eons to come._

_"But with the Legend Power came a great price. As strong as these Five Magicians had been, they could no longer hold onto their bodies. They retained their memories, but their physical forms changed into that of the Heavenly Saints. Their leader, Flagel, became a humanoid demon with a volcanic stone body. His weapon, the Sword of Flagel, was said to have eliminated a legion of troops with a single cut._

_"The wisest of the five became Heavenly Saint Volgel; Volgel donned metallic armor that gave him speed and swiftness; it also channeled his attacks to their maximum strength. The Bow of Volgel could strike a man at 100 meters with flawless aim, and a single bolt could travel that distance in less than a second. The five's best fortuneteller was transformed into the mermaid-like Splagel. The Trident of Splagel could summon three torrents of water that could bore through the strongest of defenses and cleanse even the dirtiest of souls to bring them into a sparkling new light._

_"A romantic maiden and warrior once before, the Mistress of the Breeze now went by the name of Heavenly Saint Wingel. The Sai of Wingel, in a single fell swoop, could summon a windstorm that could rearrange the Magitopian skies themselves into perfect formation. Finally, but not in the least unimportant, was the five's strongman. His new identity became Heavenly Saint Groungel. Groungel was now a tree-like being whose connection to the forests had become greater than ever before. His Axe of Groungel could clear an entire forest with one horizontal swipe and rebuild it taller and stronger with another._

_"These five ascended high into the skies and changed the clouds into the land known as Magitopia. An island each held the elements of fire, thunder, water, wind and earth. From there other humans worthy of becoming a Saint ascended, including a diligent queen who became Heavenly Arch Saint Magiel by the unanimous decision of the Five Legendary Magicians. The Five Magicians received training from Snowgel should a future attack ever occur, and peace continued._

_"In modern times, the Champion Saint of Fire, Bragel, descended to Earth and fell in love with a woman named Miyuki. Miyuki was brought to Magitopia, and out of her love for Bragel (known to her as Isamu Ozu) and her courage, became the first human to use magic; she wouldn't be the last. Snowgel chose to grant Miyuki her powers. Miyuki and Isamu gave birth to five children some time later._

_"Then Bragel had to leave for the Infershia-Magitopia war about to break loose. Lunagel, Saint of the Moon, was sent to Earth and lost her memory. Raigel, Saint of Thunder, a former traveling salesman, was mummified and Sungel, Saint of the Sun, was left as a frog. Bragel mysteriously vanished. He later returned as Wolzard, and played a part in the return of Lunage and Sungell, the fall of the traitor Raigel, the defeating of the Pantheon, and the reuniting of the magical steeds Valkyrion and Unikirion. This culminated in his eventual rebirth as Wolzard Fire._

_

* * *

_

"Since dark magic continues to exist, the powers stay within these five. As it should be known, Bragel's children grew up to become..." Clare's line was cut off by a simultaneous signal on the MagiPhones, Mystic Morphers and the Rootcore's crystal ball.

"We've got an attacker from the underworld in the forest," Udonna said, "All of you, go! The ones with the power of magic are the only ones who can stop this attack. I trust in all of you."

The ten exited. Just after they had left, Clare read the last sentence. "…Bragel's children grew up to become…the Mahou Sentai Magiranger."


	4. Quest From the Saints

**Chapter 4: Quest from the Saints**

The Dragon Keeper had appeared in the forest shortly after he crossed the dimensions. "Before I see what's going on underground," he mused, "It would be best if I proved that I had the skill to join their ranks. Defeating not one, but two Ranger teams should be enough to make me worthy. I may even become their LEADER if this is pulled off correctly."

"Is it a Hades Beast?" said Urara's voice from a distance.

"It's not like anything we've picked up before," Madison answered.

"Whatever it is, we'll win," Nick said, "Can't be that tough."

The Dragon Keeper took out his gnarled staff and slammed its bottom tip to the ground. Around him rose statues of five dragons, each one different than the next. A Madou circle was inscribed into the bottom of each pedestal, although the dragons themselves spoke more of the five elements used by none other than the Rangers.

"My power increase!" The dragonmancer held his staff to the sky, "_Ryuu Ryugaro_!" Dark energy spiraled around his body and lifted him into the air. The five dragon statues opened their maws and shot dark beams at the Dragon Keeper; the beams centralized in the tip of his staff and powered him up to his greatest extent. The dragon statues remained aboveground when the ten magicians appeared on the scene.

"I don't think it's a Hades Beast at all," said Tsubasa.

"It's a dragonmage!" Chip exclaimed, "Awesome!"

"…I don't think it's that awesome," Vida said, "He's trying to kill us."

"Let me reason with him," Xander spoke up, "Hi, I'm Xander. You would be…?"

"I, Xander," replied the sage "I am the Dragon Keeper. Exiled by the Magitopia council, I came here to spread my terror and let the world know the fury of these great beasts. None of you can stand against me."

"They've all said that," Madison sighed.

"We'll try," Nick stated, "Everybody, ready?"

"Ready!" replied Xander, Chip, Madison and Vida. The five flipped open their Mystic Morphers and called out "Magical Source, Mystic…"

They were shoved aside by Kai and his siblings. "You aren't needed," Kai said, "You lack the courage to take on someone of his level. Leave this to the magicians who know what they're doing."

"We don't lack courage," snarled Vida.

"Nii-chan, nee-chan!" Kai yelled, "Let's go!"

"Right!" said Makito, Tsubasa, Houka, and Urara.

"Tenkuu seijia yo, ware ni mahou no chikara wo! Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!" They entered the code 1-0-0-6 on their MagiPhones and pressed enter. For the briefest of seconds they were visible in the suits the Mystic Force Rangers were familiar with, but that changed in the blink of an eye.

All five gained a white-and-gold chest shield with their emblem engraved and a respective-colored gemstone set within. Their gloves and boots had a large golden "M" insignia appear, and the white, gold and red DialRods appeared in their hands. Makito's helmet gained a pair of bull horns, Houka's fairy wings, Urara's a tail like that of a mermaid, Tsubasa's a pair of lightning bolt shaped wings, and Kai's a golden crown and five flared wings jutting from the sides. Their roll call was performed.

"Unaru Daichi no Eremento! Midori no Mahoutsukai, Legend MagiGreen!"

"Fukiyuku Kaze no Eremento! Momoiro no Mahoutsukai, Legend MagiPink!"

"Tayutau Mizu no Eremento! Ao no Mahoutsukai, Legend MagiBlue!"

"Hashiru Ikazuchi no Eremento! Kiiro no Mahoutsukai, Legend MagiYellow!"

"Moeru Honoo no Eremento! Aka no Mahoutsukai, Legend MagiRed!"

"Afereru yuuki wo mahou ni kaeru! Mahou Sentai…MAGIRANGER!"

"No way!" Nick gasped.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Chip.

"Impressive," commented Madison.

"Cool," said Vida.

"Wow," Xander stared ahead.

"We won't allow a villain like you to claim the surface world, not after we saved it in our own dimension," Kai declared, "Legend Fire!" A ring formed from the tip of his DialRod and created a stream of fire intense in both size and heat. The Dragon Keeper created a fanged shield around his body and let the attack fade away into nothingness. Makito and Tsubasa were next.

"Legend Earth Shaking!"

"Legend Thunder Crash!"

Makito raised a large boulder from the ground and smashed it with his DialRod. The boulder segmented into several small, sharp rocks that launched themselves at the Dragon Keeper.

"_Zanga Ryujira_!" The Dragon Keeper protected himself with a cage-like veil of energy. The rocks went through and did no damage. Tsubasa raised his DialRod to the sky and summoned a series of storm clouds overhead. The Dragon Keeper dropped his veil and prepared for the attack.

The storm clouds flashed and roared, but they eventually released a giant bolt of lightning that caused Chip to open his mouth in awe. The Dragon Keeper caught it in the tip of his staff and held the wand forward at the Magiranger. Several dark bolts of energy hit the Legend Magiranger on their chests and shattered the gemstone embedded on the shields. "Houka…Urara…" said Tsubasa, "Take him."

"Houka and Urara Ozu, magical sisters!" Houka announced.

"Beautiful Attack Formation!" Urara added.

Houka and Urara placed the tips of their DialRods together and spun the Rods around in a complete circle before meeting up again. "_Gonga Jijiru_!" Strands of pink and blue energy fluttered outward with the powers of wind and water racing within. The Dragon Keeper deflected with his staff and let them hit nothing but the trees behind him.

"That's IT," Nick said off to the side to his teammates, "I'm tired of being told I lack the courage or whatever to fight these guys. If our counterparts can, we can. Ready?" The Mystic Force Rangers threw off their cloaks and readied their Mystic Morphers. The code 1-2-3 was entered.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

"Strong as a tree, Green Mystic Ranger!"

"Ever-changing as the wind, Pink Mystic Ranger!"

"Fluid as the sea, Blue Mystic Ranger!"

"Fast as lightning, Yellow Mystic Ranger!"

"Forceful as fire, Red Mystic Ranger!"

"We call forth the magic– Power Rangers MYSTIC FORCE!"

In less than a second the five were in their spandex outfits and ready to fight. Nick spread his arms and yelled out "I summon the fire of the phoenix!" Red flame enveloped his body as he flew across the forest ground and slammed into the Dragon Keeper. The Keeper, holding Nick against him, swatted the red mage away like a fly with one swing of his staff. Nick landed on the ground. Xander, Chip, Madison and Vida rushed to console him.

"I told you not to interfere!" Kai yelled.

"He's our problem too, Ozu," Nick shot back.

"We'll finish him on our own," Kai said, "Nii-chan, nee-chan!"

The Legend Magiranger dialed "2" on their Rods and placed the five staffs in a pentagonal formation. Golden light flared up. "_Jii Golu MagiBolt_!" The Dragon Keeper knew this was coming, and prepared accordingly. "_Ryaara Ryuu_!" The dragon statues moved in front of him.

"LEGEND FINISH!" A beam of light shot forth like a comet and slammed into the dragon statues. Smoke, dust and debris filled the air. The Magiranger assumed the smoke and flame to mean that the Dragon Keeper had been defeated, and reacted properly. They turned around, snapped their fingers, and proclaimed "Checkmate!" A malicious laugh came from the darkness.

"You fool," laughed the Keeper, "You didn't kill me. Not at all. I have a fairly good estimate of your power now, and know what must be done to become ruler of the underworld and, in time, all worlds. Ryuu Ryujira!" A Madou circle appeared beneath him as he teleported away from the battlefield. The Magiranger and Mystic Force powered down.

"You idiot!" Nick screamed, "We could've taken him!"

"But you didn't, right?" Kai answered, "If anything, you were a hindrance in the fight!"

"Beautiful Attack Formation?" Vida asked of Houka, "Yes, streamers are the PERFECT weapon for defeating evil!"

"I thought it was nice…" Madison shyly chimed in.

"We're better sisters than you are!" Houka jealously roared back, "At least we get along like family. Madison's only riding your coattails because she'll knows you'll get angry if she tries to do anything better than you!"

"Houka, calm down!" Urara tried to control her sister.

"If you were really like me, you'd have stopped them," Tsubasa scolded, "That wasn't the time to jump into battle."

"It's not like you were winning," Chip shrugged.

"Take that back!" Makito growled.

"Let me try to reason with you," Xander said, "See…"

"SHUT UP, XANDER!" Vida yelled.

"Sorry, Vida, sorry…" Xander retreated in shame.

"We'll head back to the Rootcore and find a way home on our own," Kai said to his siblings.

"It's OUR base," Nick retaliated, "If you go, we have no choice but to go with you."

"Be that way," Kai stuck his nose up and turned away.

The two teams of five magicians kept a great distance from each other on the walk back. Chip wanted to use tree portals and get the jump on them, but when Xander warned him that he may cross paths with Tsuabsa, Chip quickly declined the thought. All assumed it was going to be a quiet and tense evening at Rootcore, but their suspicions were about to become completely wrong.

* * *

The dragon's-head entrance to Rootcore had an expression its eyes that made it look like it had eaten something. Xander pointed his Mystic Morpher's tip at the tree dragon and lifted its maw to reveal what was standing in the doorway to their base. It was a white goat with a scroll of parchment hanging out its mouth. The goat sounded a "baa" and caused all, except the Magiranger and Chip, to arch their eyebrows in confusion.

"Hikaru-sensei explained this to us before," Urara said, "There's a black goat in Magitopia and a white goat on the surface world. The message you want to send is shoved down the throat of the black goat and comes out the mouth of the white one. Their stomachs are connected by a tiny magical dimension."

"Awesome," Chip said as he took the letter from the goat's teeth, "I want to get a goat fax machine in my house."

"Don't get overexcited," said Tsubasa, "now read the letter."

Chip started at the top and muttered something under his breath. He was as engrossed in the letter as he was in one of his large collection of fantasy books. Tsubasa smacked him across the back of his head and said "Read the letter ALOUD, Thorn!"

"Oh, right," Chip chuckled, "aloud."

"_Mahou Sentai Magiranger, Power Rangers Mystic Force_

"_There is no doubt that both of you are strong and worthy of the title of successor to the Five Legendary Magicians. But the Dragon Keeper is something that one group of magicians alone cannot defeat. As long as you see each other as enemies, then the true enemy shall continue living. It is because of this, on the order of the Heavenly Arch Saint Magiel, that I am sending you on something all noble and true heroes must go through to attain the greatness that surpasses their name through the ages. You are to go on a quest._

"_In the Marudeyouna World there exists a special world created by none other than the Five Legendary Magicians themselves. It is a vast and sprawling world known as Heroes' Mountain. In the five sectors of this world lies something each of you must find, and something each of you must overcome. Only when you accomplish this task shall you truly be ready to take on the Dragon Keeper and the army of the undead he is sure to align himself with._

"_Included are two pre-punched MagiTickets. One will take you to Heroes' Mountain and the other will arm you appropriately for combat. While dangerous, I know this is what must be done if the Dragon Keeper is ever to be defeated at last. Best of luck to all of you._

"_Heavenly Saint Lunagel. Rin."_

Chip saw two golden tickets slip from the parchment. The first had the image of a Saint circle on it and read "teleport" below. The hole in the ticket shone with a brilliant golden light that enveloped all ten and teleported them away. It was a feeling similar to the one the Magiranger experienced when they were forced across the dimensions to Briarwood, but this one had a calm air about it compared to the calamity of the previous teleport. Chip, of course, thought it awesome. In a few short seconds they were gone from sight.

* * *

Heroes' Mountain aptly fit its name. A large, sparkling lake was to one side of the central mountain, as was a dense forest and a stone valley. The sky was eternally blue with only a few soft, white clouds here and there. The sun shone brightly and the tip of the mountain was covered in a blanket of white snow. Three circles – Legend, Saint and Mahou – were inscribed in stone slabs at the center of it all. It was on the Saint circle that the ten magicians materialized.

"Whoa," Chip exclaimed, "that was cool." Chip dropped the second MagiTicket, this one labeled "Fashion". Its design was a shirt with a red question mark across it. This ticket shone as well. When its light passed over the ten magicians their clothing changed from their uniforms to something fitting for each colored pair. Tsubasa and Chip were the first to take notice.

"So we're role playing now?" Chip exclaimed, "I like."

"You should lay off the sugar," Tsubasa said, "…what's with our outfits?"

Tsubasa and Chip were now wearing a pair of moccasins and tan leather pants. Their shirts had mysteriously vanished, and yellow face paint was spread across their cheeks and forehead. They each had a headdress adorned with yellow and white feathers. It made them look Native American in appearance. Tsubasa found it uncomfortable, but Chip started looking for a tomahawk; he was as happy as a kid on Halloween.

When the light passed over Makito and Xander they had been changed into clothes even older than those of the yellow duo. They had hemispherical hats with bull horns and outfits made of a coarse fur. Boots and arm guards made of the same materials were also worn on their person.

"Vikings," said Xander, "Nice."

"…why this?" Makito asked, "It itches."

Houka and Vida were both in pink ninja outfits from Japan. From the sash around their belt to the ponytail in their hair they fit the part perfectly. No shoes were on their feet, but a small dagger was around their waist. Vida looked down at her outfit and stuck out her tongue in disgust. Houka tweaked her outfit to perfection and struck her pose once again.

"I HATE pink," Vida said.

Houka replied, "It looks cute on you."

"Now's NOT the time for that," Vida began.

Madison and Urara were in blue silk robes with their mermaid symbol sewed on in a darker shade of blue. Their hair was tied in the back, and it made them appear even more similar than before. The outfit in and of itself was traditional Chinese.

"Hmm…wonder why?" Madison asked.

"It looks good," Urara said, "Fluid as the sea."

Finally, Kai and Nick were in the most traditional and noble clothing of heroes. A chainmail undershirt, a red-and-gold tunic over that and silver armor on their arms and legs with a sword around their belt were now on their person. A flowing red cape draped down from their neck. It was the armor of a traditional medieval knight, and Kai knew that he would wear it proudly.

"A knight in shining armor…" Kai stated.

"What next?" Nick sighed. His question was answered when a Legend circle appeared at the feet of each group of two. There was a flash in the five colors of light and then the ten had been separated. Their quest was about to begin.


	5. On the Other Side of the Dimension

**Chapter 5: On the Other Side of the Dimension**

The Ozu household was oddly quiet. Mandora Boy rested in his pot and Smokey the Cat in his lamp while the three elder members of the house, one Magician and two Heavenly Saints, looked around for the missing Magicians of the Five Colors. None of them had been present when the interdimensional spell swept them away to Briarwood, and as such had no idea where to start.

"_Majiiro Majika_," Miyuki Ozu, an older woman in a white dress, placed her sparkling silver MagiPhone to her eyes and looked around the magical library with sharpened senses. Not even the slightest trace of her children could be found. She dropped her MagiPhone to the ground and placed her head on the shoulders of her husband, Isamu.

Isamu was a middle-aged Japanese man dressed in a brownish-black fur coat with purple clothing visible underneath. In his hand was a red phone like Miyuki's, except it had a golden "W" where her "M" symbol was. He had been through much in the past year, from his transformation into Wolzard to his apparent death protecting his children, to his final and strongest form of Wolzard Fire. In reality Isamu was the Heavenly Saint, the Champion of Flame, Bragel. He consoled his wife of many years.

"We'll find them," he reassured her, "remember that our children thought you and I were dead for quite some time. This feels…different though. They're not dead, but they're not anywhere here either. Not in Magitopia, not in the Infershia, and not on the surface. Try calling Snowgel."

Miyuki opened her silver MagiPhone and saw the face of Snowgel appear. She was an icy-blue, humanoid Saint that had trained the Five Legendary Magicians, Flagel, Volgel, Splagel, Wingel and Groungel, long, long ago. Snowgel's voice came through the MagiPhone. "Magician of the White," she asked, "What is it you're looking for? Calling me in the Marudeyouna World must mean something."

"Have…have you seen my children?" Miyuki said, holding back tears.

"Not since recently," replied Snowgel. The final battle with N. Ma had been a spectacle that the city would remember for some time to come. "But no, they have not been in the Marudeyouna World today. Although… I have heard news of the Dragon Keeper leaving his life of solitude for a dimension not of our own."

A flare of golden light came from the magical room's fireplace. Hikaru-sensei, Sungel, appeared in the hearth in his blue-and-gold suit. He had been out buying a cake from Akane to give to his new family in celebration of their victory but a week ago only to hear the news that all five children had vanished without a trace. He set the cake on the table and walked up to Isamu and Miyuki.

"So they're gone…?" he asked, "What about Urara?"

"Her too," Isamu replied, "Nowhere to be seen."

Mandora Boy awoke and replied to what he had heard of the conversation. "So they've vanished de gozarimasu desu? What are we going to do without them de gozarimasu desu? This is terrible de gozarimasu desu!"

Hikaru's mind sparked with a thought. "The Dragon Keeper," he said, "Who told him he could leave? He was deemed to be locked in eternal isolation by the Magitopia Council!"

"What'd he do?" a tired Smokey asked.

"The Dragon Keeper practiced some advanced forms of Dark Magic," Hikaru explained, "One of which was the control over dragons. He realized that dragons held such power…raw strength, unhindered defense…and almost wanted to become one. When he attacked Magitopia with an army of the beasts he'd acquired in his travels, Magiel, Lunagel, and I sent him into exile in a distant corner of the Marudeyouna World with a powerful seal keeping him in.

"Yet, there are other dimensions out there; anything can lie within them, and they may be shockingly different from our own…or very much like home. One of those worlds is where they must be. But we have no clues…they left no trace. Unless…SMOKEY!" Smokey exited his lamp and walked to his Master's side.

"What?" the peerless magical cat asked.

Hikaru took out his GripPhone and a MagiTicket. He slid the ticket in, pressed down on the GripPhone and held the ticket between his and Smokey's foreheads. "_Luuma Goludo_!" he declared. Hikaru was fully aware of what he had done. Smokey acted like he was hiding something…so Hikaru had gone inside his memories to see just what he knew.

Hikaru was in the magic room some hours earlier. The room had a whitewashed and blurry tint. Hikaru himself was nothing more than a ghost observing the events; his presence had no say in what was happening, for it had already happened. Things were going as usual. Kai was engrossed in his studies while Mandora watched over him. Makito and Urara were cleaning the room. Tsubasa was looking through a book of spells with Smokey and Houka was talking on her MagiPhone; business as usual.

"So, Koji, if you wanted to meet me tomorrow…" Houka found Urara sitting down in front of her. "I'll call you back later." The eldest sister closed her MagiPhone and looked at her younger sibling. "What is it, Urara?" Houka tiredly asked, "I was preparing for a date…"

"I KNOW," Urara said, "Ever since I've gotten married, I've found it to be a great thing. And you? You're moving from man to man too fast. You have to settle down at some point or another, Houka. I mean, even KAI…" Kai looked up from his book.

"What, Jii-nee?" he asked.

"Even Kai's found a steady girl in Yamazaki!"

"I did help him out a little bit," Houka blushed.

"At least he found somebody," Urara said, "I'm happy…I want you to be too."

Makito moved to Urara's crystal ball and took a feather duster in hand. He brushed the heavy layer of dust from the glass orb and noticed something sparking beneath the surface. "Only the Magician of the Blue can read the crystal ball," Mandora Boy had said, and Urara promptly responded by getting up to read it. "_Maji Jijiru_." She looked in.

Urara's eyes flashed turquoise-blue before she reared her head back and groaned in pain. Tsubasa abandoned his book and rushed to Urara's side. Smokey lifted his head from his lamp and looked at the ongoing events. Mandora Boy landed beside him on the table to watch. In fear, the plant retracted himself into his pot.

"What did you see?" Tsubasa asked.

"I didn't see…" Urara screamed, "Anything! I tried to read the signs, but there was nothing in there!"

"How? The crystal ball's sparking," Kai said.

"That's what I meant," Urara caught her breath, "I saw nothing…but a blank void drawing me in. If I hadn't forced myself away I might have collapsed."

"That doesn't really matter now," said a frightened Houka, "Look…"

The multicolored spark of energy within Urara's crystal ball exploded outward and trapped the five Magirangers in its grip. They drew their Magiphones in an attempt to repel the energy tornado, but it was as if their hands had become bonded to the phones. Urara screamed through the whirlwind and called out to her siblings.

"Wherever we end up going…whatever happens…" she began.

"We must remember that we're family!" said Makito, "We can make it through!"

"We're being pulled closer…" said Tsubasa.

"Somebody save us!" Houka screamed.

"There's nothing we can do!" Kai yelled, "So here goes!"

The MagiPhones flashed in the same color of light as their respective holder. Within seconds the room fell deadly silent. Except for the books and cleaning supplies left about, there was almost no sign the Ozu siblings had been in here. Smokey and Mandora retreated into their pot and lamp, respectively.

"So that's it…" said Hikaru, "but what spell caused it? _Goludiiro Gojika_." He listened in and heard a faint voice, not of this world, speaking a spell. As the last sound waves reverberated from the library's walls Hikaru was able to make out the syllables. "_Galwit…Du…Mysto…Maji_." Except for the last one, he'd heard none of them before. Hikaru exited Smokey's memory.

"I knew it," he said to Miyuki and Isamu, "They've gone to another dimension. To travel with the Mahou and Saint circles would take weeks. We need a quicker, stronger way to sail the dimensional seas." He tapped on Smokey's lamp. "Smokey, start shoveling the MagiCoals. Miyuki, Isamu, Man-chan, all aboard the Travelion Express! Platform 0 opens again!"

Hikaru punched another MagiTicket. "_Goo Golu Luludo_!" A thunderous steam whistle was heard as the blue-and-gold locomotive, the Magical Express Travelion, pulled into Platform 0, located just beyond the double doors of the magic room. Miyuki and Isamu boarded a car with Mandora Boy while Hikaru and Smokey began to work the controls.

"Travelion Express, set off!" The locomotive's rustic steam whistle sounded as the wheels began to turn. Faster and faster they became until Travelion was no longer on a solid rail. It was traveling through the stars and space themselves across the rail of the heavens. A portal to another world appeared before the train.

In the car, Mandora Boy was examining Travelion's route map to see all the possible dimensions they could go to. "There are so many paths de gozarimasu desu! So many dimensions de gozarimasu desu!" he said, "They could be in any one de gozarimasu desu!" Miyuki, upon hearing this news, almost broke down in tears, but didn't. She knew everything her children had been through. Isamu had once been swayed to the side of dark magic; she had been thought dead. This time they knew that no matter what dimension they were in the power of family was with them.

"They'll be alright," Isamu said to his wife, "Sungel, full speed ahead!"

"Of course they will," said Miyuki, "I know it."


	6. Dark Dealings

**Chapter 6: Dark Dealings**

The Dragon Keeper appeared in the underground pit with nary a word to announce himself. Morticon was sleeping on his throne and Necrolai was reclining against a cave wall in the corner. When the Keeper slammed his staff into the hard stone both creatures awoke and asked who he was. Morticon was angered the most, for his afternoon sleep had been disturbed by this unannounced newcomer.

"Tell me your name, warlock!" Morticon roared.

"I?" replied the dragonmage, "I am the Dragon Keeper. My control lies in the hands of the beasts untamable, and my rule is all that dragons can see. These fearsome creatures inhabit everywhere, and soon everything shall be under my command. But it is a task that one man alone cannot perform, so I came to seek your services. Victory General Branken, Yougen Spy Vancuria, I bow before thee."

"Branken?" asked Moritcon.

"Vancuria?" questioned Necrolai.

"So those are not your names?" asked the Keeper.

"I am Morticon, the most powerful creature in the underworld," said the blue-and-silver general.

"And I am Necrolai," said the vampire, "We are hoping to please The Master."

"Quiet, the lot of you. Leave him to me," spoke a deep voice from the darkness. The Dragon Keeper turned his head and saw behind him a warrior in a purple suit of armor. Two silver wolves were on his shoulders and a gold "W" was on his chest. A sword and shield were in his hand. The Keeper had heard of him and knew him well.

"Madou Knight Wolzard," said the Keeper, "Just who I was looking for."

"There is no Wolzard here," replied the purple-suited warrior, "Just Koragg the Knight Wolf. What do you request of me, dragonmancer?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Koragg." the Dragon Keeper smirked, "If I know you like I think I do, then you must be having problems with the Magicians of the Five Colors."

"The Mystic Rangers do stop our attacks at every opportunity."

"Then allow me to give you the boost you need."

The Keeper pointed the gnarled tip of his staff at Knight Wolf and slowly whispered four words under his breath. "_Ryuu Ryu Uthra Uzaara_!" A Madou circle traced itself in black light beneath Koragg as a sphere of energy in the same color shot from the tip of the Dragon Keeper's staff. The orb embedded itself in Koragg's chest; the Knight Wolf lifted into the air.

Koragg yelled out in pain as his wolf shoulder pads dropped to the ground with his shield. His arms and legs became covered in a jet-black chain mail-like armor constructed entirely of scales. Golden plates of protection covered his arms, legs and shoulders. From his arm guards there began to burn two searing bright purple flames. Koragg gripped his sword in both of his hands and landed on the ground.

"What have you done to me?" asked the Knight Wolf whilst looking down at his new form, "My shield…it is like I can no longer use it. But my body feels so…powerful. What kind of witchery have you performed on me, Dragon Keeper? Answer or face the consequences!"

"It's simple, Koragg," hissed the Keeper, "I have cast aside your dark magic for my own. Within you is the fury, the heart and the strength of a dragon. All your abilities have been increased tenfold, and there is another secret I'm keeping for…later. What do you think?"

"DRAGON CUT!" Knight Wolf held his sword in the air and let it down to the ground with a mighty blow. The ground shook as purple flame snaked around the Dragon Keeper and transformed into the shape of a dragon itself. The Keeper silenced the flame with a snap of his fingers and walked up to Knight Wolf.

"Well done, Koragg," he said, "As we speak, the Rangers are being confronted with my beasts. Now is when we begin to plan our attack. The surface world shall fall at the hands of our combined power. We seize the moment, and the moment is NOW!" His proclamation echoed across the underworld, and Udonna could swear she heard it aboveground.

The sorceress and her apprentice believed that the ten magicians were still out fighting the Keeper somewhere in the forest. If only they had known the truth…

* * *

The forests of Heroes' Mountain were thick, winding and almost maze-like. Makito plucked berries from the ground as he walked along and stored them in a crude satchel he had fashioned from his boots. Xander displayed extreme caution the whole time; he didn't know what could be lurking out there in the forest. His experience in Briarwood had taught him that.

"What are you collecting berries for?"

"Aniki Salad!" Makito exclaimed.

"Aniki…Salad?"

"It's Makito's specialty! Homegrown on Aniki Farms!"

"Yeah…sure…"

The two greens crawled through the jungle until they came upon a clearing. Xander pushed a large shrubbery aside and saw, glimmering in the Marudeyouna World's eternal morning sunlight, what he and Makito had been sent to find. All there was in the forest glade was a tree stump, but it was the item hovering above the stump that made it all too important.

It was a double-bladed axe. The axe's handle was made of a thick, polished, dark wood with a twisted knob at the end. The blades were constructed of leaves bonded together and made to have their edges be razor-sharp. Green energy radiated outward and lifted Makito and Xander's spirits. Makito gasped and leaned aside to his other self.

"I don't believe it," he elatedly spoke, "That's the Axe of Groungel. It's one of the Five Legendary Saint Weapons…and it's ours. This may be what Rin sent us in search of. Go, Xander, go! It's ours for the taking." Xander, unhesitating, walked into the glade and towards the stump.

The closer he neared the weapon the stronger he felt. Seconds before Xander was to close his hand about the grip, he heard a crashing sound nearby. Makito whispered for him to go ahead and take it anyway. Xander extended his arm and felt a cool mist sweep over his body. He looked up, had his eyes shrink in fear, and ran screaming.

"What is it, Xander?" Makito asked.

"That…" Xander replied.

"That" was a dragon that towered over Makito and Xander. It had a growling black face like that of the Minotaur form both Rangers could assume. Two black horns stuck out from the sides of its head, and two red eyes and rows of sharp, silver teeth made it look all the more scarier. Black and silver armored plating covered its legs and tail, and at the end of the tail was a large, green, axe-like extension.

Two drills protruded from its knees, and the rest of its body was covered in green scales. Black debris coated its translucent green wings. The creature's roar sounded like that of bull crossed with a dragon. It was the Minotaurus Dragon, and, while the Heroes' Mountain hadn't been inhabited for years, Makito and Xander had stepped into its territory. Purely on instinct the green warriors drew their golden phones.

"Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

**_Xander and Makito stand on Groungel's island in Magitopia. A Mahou circle and a Mystic circle, both outlined in green, descend from the heavens spinning around rapidly. They cross over Makito and Xander as the two Taurus symbols interlock. Groungel himself rises from the center of the circles and strikes his familiar pose with Xander and Makito. Green energy surges up their bodies and forms the basis of the suit. Xander and Makito have their helmets and capes form as they leap in front of the Taurus symbol and strike a final pose._**

Makito's transformation took a second longer than Xander's as he entered into Legend Mode. The Minotaurus Dragon glanced down at the Rangers. A green Legend circle appeared behind the pair as they announced their names and purposes to their enemy.

"Unwavering as the land!" Xander shouted.

"The color of resolution, supporting all!" Makito added.

The two announced together, "GREEN GROUND!"

"We know what we have to do," Makito said, "Get the Axe of Groungel and smash that dragon into nothing. If anything, he's sent by the Keeper to interrupt our quest."

"Or there's Plan Xander," interrupted the Green Mystic Ranger, "I can reason with him."

Xander approached the Minotaurus Dragon and held out his Magi Staff. "Hello, I'm Xander. Minotaurus Dragon, I was wondering if it would be possible for a lizard such as yourself to…" the Dragon raised its foot into the air and kneed for Xander with the drill bit attached. Xander ducked in preparation of his defeat, but quickly realized death would have to wait.

"_GOLU MAAJI_!" Makito, his chest transformed into solid rock, had borne the brunt of the hit. Makito commanded two nearby boulders to slam into the Minotaurus Dragon's eyes then rolled out of the way. Xander decided now was the time to get serious. His Magi Staff's "M" slid up, changed in shape and grew in size to become…

"Magi Staff, Axe Mode!" Xander slammed the Axe into the ground and sent it at the dragon. His armor plating absorbed the hit. Makito raised his DialRod into the air and sounded his signature spell. "Jiruma Majika!" From the trees vines shot forth and ensnared the Minotaurus Dragon around its legs. The Dragon was bound now, but still incredibly powerful. It flapped its wings and created a storm of debris that reduced visibility to almost nothing.

Makito, while squinting and looking through his helmet's bull-shaped visor could make out something among the flying sand and rocks. It was a green glow that was still visible in the darkness. "The Axe of Groungel…" he strained. "Xander...sway that tree and clear the storm."

"Got it, mate," Xander replied, "Magi Staff…do your thing!"

From the tip of Xander's Magi Staff came a bright green glow. The trees in the forest rocked back and forth and created a gust of wind that cleared the path. Makito crawled through and grasped Groungel's Axe in his hands. His body was overflowing with power now; he could feel the energy of the heavenly world coursing through him. The spell to use the Axe came at once to his mind.

"_GOO MAJIKA_!" Makito yelled, "Green Ground Destroyer!" He leapt into the air and had an avatar of Groungel materialize behind him. The sharp blades of the Axe of Groungel cut the Minotaurus Dragon's neck from its body, and the creature let out a deafening roar. Makito landed beside Xander as the two did a high-five on their victory.

"Checkmate!" The dust storm died down, but the feeling of unnatural calm had yet to fade from the woodland area. Something was still afoot in the forests of Heroes' Mountain.

* * *

Houka and Vida had been teleported to just outside the forest's boundaries where a field of flowers lay. Cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, and a soulfully-calming scent was present in the air. Houka was in something close to paradise while Vida was still moping about her choice of wardrobe.

"It would be cute if it were white or…something other than pink," Vida mused, "I'm digging the 'ninja' thing, but otherwise it's kind of blegh."

"Stop being so pouty," Houka sprightly chimed in, "You're going to be wearing pink as long as you're a Ranger, so you may as well learn to love it. Houka-chan…" Houka stopped in mid-sentence. Her eyes were open in shock; she collapsed to her knees and quickly stepped up again.

"What is it?" Vida scratched her head.

"The…Sai of Wingel!" Houka screamed, "YAHOO!"

Faster than a gale force wind the Magician of the Pink skipped across the flower fields and snatched the Sai from the large flower it lay within. Houka scanned the weapon and squealed with delight. This was her Heavenly Saint Weapon, and the power it granted made her feel as though a simple jump could lift her one hundred feet into the air.

"Houka…" Vida trembled, "Not…good…"

"Smile, Vida!" Houka said happily, "The Sai of Wingel is ours at last!"

"That's not what I was talking about…" the short-haired girl stammered yet again. Houka turned her head upwards towards the sun and saw what Vida had been pointing out to her. Houka gulped and ran to Vida's side.

Vida glared, "I TOLD you!"

What had scared the Pink Magicians was a grotesque, menacing dragon now glaring down at them. The dragon had a pink-scaled body covered in white and silver armoring. Its wings were like that of a fairy's, except one swipe of these could create a hurricane-force wind. Beady yellow eyes were on its face, and the tail had a pink-and-silver dagger-like extension at the end. Its name was the Storm Dragon, and it had come for the pink warriors.

"Houka, NOW!" Vida turned to her counterpart.

"Pose of determination, Houka-chan version up!" she replied.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

"Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!"

**_Houka and Vida stand on the clouds on Wingel's island in Magitopia. A Mahou circle and a Mystic circle, both outlined in pink, descend from the heavens rapidly spinning. They cross over Houka and Vida's bodies as the fairy symbols interlock. Wingel rises from the center and strikes the same pose as Houka and Vida. Pink energy runs up their bodies and forms the basis of their suits. The two pink magicians leap into the air and have their helmet and cape form. They land in front of a glowing fairy symbol and strike a final pose._**

When Houka's Legend transformation finished seconds later she and Vida posed in front of a pink Legend circle. While it was unlikely that the Storm Dragon was one for talk, the pinks were to announce their name anyway. They felt the motivation and the will to do so.

"Refreshing as the wind!" announced Vida.

"The color of hope, carrying dreams!" Houka said excitedly.

They declared together, "PINK STORM!"

Vida pulled out her Magi Staff and transformed it to her own special mode. "Magi Staff – Sai Mode!" The sword tip extended about a third of the way, and the "M" moved up to the same position Nick's always did. With a flourish of pink energy and a pose, Vida prepared to combat the Storm Dragon on her own terms. "_Galwit Mysto Aerotan_!" Vida's Mystic Racer came to her side.

Vida piloted herself into the air and slammed down with her Sai. She thought the Storm Dragon would fall, but one swipe of the creature's claws sent her flying backwards. "MagiBolt!" Houka dialed "1" on her DialRod and created a gust of wind. The Storm Dragon flapped its wings and sent Houka slamming into the trunk of a sakura tree. Vida, the dragon's claw propelling her, hit Houka equally as hard.

"Vida, you may be arrogant…" Houka said hesitantly.

"…and you may be too cutesy," Vida added.

"But…" Houka started.

"What?"

"I think you're the only one who can get the Sai of Wingel. Glide your Mystic Racer underneath the Storm Dragon's belly and retrieve it. I need to stay here and prepare for an attack."

"If it'll get me out of this mess, I'll do it."

Vida jumped on her Racer yet again and climbed high into the sky. The force of the wind itself drove her, and just as Vida reached her apex she turned the nose of the rocket broom down and swooped past the Storm Dragon's head. She plucked the Sai of Wingel from where it stood and narrowly avoided the dragon's tail before landing a safe distance away and reconciling with Houka.

"What's our plan?" Vida asked.

"We both transform," Houka said, "Take both Sais and let me glide you in the right direction. This is the only way we can win."

"You sure?"

"The Sai of Wingel is strong enough to cut its skin. We just need enough force to make it happen. I think it's coming for us…NOW!"

"Right!"

"Changing! _Maaji Majiiro_!" Houka waved her DialRod around her body and transformed, in a burst of pink light, into a circus-style cannon. "Houka-chan Cannon!" Vida made the same motion with her Magi Staff and watched as her cape spread into a magnificent pink pair of butterfly wings. Vida folded her wings across her body, slid into Houka, and readied her weapons. The Sai of Wingel was in her left hand and the Magi Staff Sai was in her right. Vida gave a thumbs-up.

"Pink Storm Hurricane!" Houka and Vida spoke together. Houka-chan Cannon launched Vida at incredible speeds. Vida's wings spread to their full breadth as she pierced the Storm Dragon through its neck. She blasted out the tail end of the beast and circled around to Houka. Both girls resumed normal form. The Storm Dragon exploded and left an air of pink wind swirling where it had once stood.

"We won!" Houka exclaimed. She did her pose once more. "Pose of determination, Houka-chan version up! Checkmate!"

"…it's not over yet," Vida whispered, "I can tell it isn't."

* * *

Madison and Urara were at the edge of the sparkling blue waters of the lake near Heroes' Mountain. This was their destination. They didn't know what waited in the depths, but they were going to take the risk. Urara pointed her MagiPhone at the shoreline and entered the spell code "0-6". "_Maji Majiiro_," she said. A blue Mahou circle traced itself out on the water's surface.

"What's that for?" Madison inquired.

"We can only breathe underwater for so long," Urara explained, "Step in and see what this spell does. I found it in a book of water-based spells shortly before I was pulled away to your dimension."

"Is it safe?"

"Go ahead, step in."

Madison took off her shoes and placed one foot into the circle. Something warm was surrounding her toes, and Madison was curious to see what it was. She walked a short distance back and jumped into the air. Madison folded her legs inward and fell through the circle where she landed in the deep lake with a splash. She didn't feel any different, but a look down at her body proved otherwise.

Madison's legs had transformed into a turquoise-blue mermaid tail that splashed around in the water. Urara stepped through the Mahou circle and underwent the same transformation. Madison quickly discovered she could now breathe underwater, and tucked her Mystic Morpher under her shoulder. Urara, a bubbly tone now to her voice, ushered Madison to follow her.

Down into the depths the Blue Magicians swam. Madison performed some underwater flips while Urara repeatedly checked her MagiPhone for any signs of unsual energy. A beautiful, multicolored coral reef appeared beneath them, and a dim blue light was seen hovering above a nearby underwater canyon. The two mermaids swam closer. What they saw was exactly what they had been expecting to see.

"The Trident of Splagel," Urara said, "There it is."

The Trident, like all other Heavenly Saint Weapons, was finely crafted and ornately beautiful. It was made of a blue metal with silver and white trim around the edges. The three prongs at the end resembled a fishtail, and the bottom of the trident had a turquoise gemstone embedded within. It was in plain sight, but bubbles were rising from the bottom of the canyon. A low growl could be heard. Madison and Urara drifted silently in the peaceful waters.

Then out from the canyon burst another dragon with a crashing roar. It had iridescent wings like a fish's fins and blue scales. A three-pronged tail and body coated in silver armor only served to make it more fearsome. Its name was the Water Dragon; it was an aquatic-dwelling creature that lived in this lake, and now had two tresspassers in view of its yellow eyes. The dragon sent a blue beam from its mouth. The beam hit just as Madison and Urara transformed.

"Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

**_Madison and Urara stand on top of the waterfall on Splagel's island in Magitopia. A Mahou and Mystic circle, outlined in blue, spin and cross over their bodies. The circles rotate until their mermaid symbols interlock. Splagel rises and strikes a pose with Madison and Urara as blue energy surges up their bodies and forms their suits. The helmets and capes are created. Madison and Urara have the mermaid symbol appear behind them and strike a final pose._**

In front of a blue Legend circle, once Urara had gone to Legend Mode, the girls announced themselves. Their fishtail remained on their bodies while their upper halves had taken on their familiar spandex-clad Ranger form.

"Pure as water!" Madison sounded.

"The color of affection, possessing rustic beauty!" Urara continued.

The two finished with a crashing call of "BLUE SPLASH!"

Madison quickly gained control of her tail and darted around to the back of the dragon. She tossed her cape aside and gave herself greater freedom of motion in the depths. Blue light engulfed her Magi Staff as she called out "Magi Staff, Trident Mode!" The "M" slid up, folded upward and increased in size like on Xander's Axe; the sword tip extended about halfway to form the center prong. Urara kept her DialRod at the ready.

"_Maaji Golu Gojika_!" Urara dialed "1" on her DialRod and aimed it at the Water Dragon, "Fantastic Splash!" A massive underwater wave rose up and swept the dragon off its feet. Madison launched three beams of energy from the prongs of her Magi Staff Trident and watched as the beams united into one and hit the dragon on its spine. Large, white teeth were now snapping in her direction. Madison stabbed the dragon in one of its eyes and told Urara to come up with a plan while she kept the lady dragon at bay.

Urara descended into the canyon, grabbing the Trident of Splagel along the way, and found a pearl rather large in diameter. She touched her hand to the iridescent sphere, and, with the Trident of Splagel, whispered an incantation. "_Maji Maji Jijiru_. Tell me what the future holds for us on this quest." Urara's mind became as dark as the deepest trench. Then an image appeared.

It was five humanoid figures, each wielding a weapon resembling one of the Heavenly Saint Weapons. Whether they had the Legend Power or not was indecipherable; a malicious laugh could be heard in the background of the vision. Urara snapped from her meditation and called out to Madison. "MADISON! Join with me! I have a plan!"

The Blue Mystic Ranger swum to Urara's side as she activated another spell with her DialRod. "_Maji Maji Gojika_!" A drill of water shot from the tip of the DialRod and propelled the Water Dragon to the surface where it began to flail about. Urara next pointed the DialRod downwards and recited the spell once more. The feeling was quick and sudden; in less than a second Madison and Urara were jetting to the surface on a high-pressure stream of water.

Madison stabbed the dragon in its other eye with her Magi Staff Trident and gave the thumbs-up to Urara. Urara, hesitating based on her vision, heroically leapt from the top of the geyser-like stream and stabbed through the Water Dragon's body with the Trident of Splagel. "BLUE SPLASH CRUSHER!" Urara and Madison bobbed on the surface, their tails happily splashing about, and high-fived on their victory.

An eerie calm fell over the lake.

* * *

Dark clouds, flashing with lightning, hovered over the rocky valley. They were always there. Chip and Tsubasa slowly trod through the sands in their moccasins, looking at the cacti and desert hills that surrounded them. Chip eyed a rocky peak on the distance and started yelling to his counterpart. Tsubasa had been gathering supplies on the long walk and preparing for a potion. He knew he would need it for the upcoming battle.

"TSUBASA!" Chip yelled, "TSUBASA!"

An aggravated Tsubasa replied, "What, Chip?"

"Is…is that a real Garuda?"

"Where?"

"Over there."

Something yellow and bird-like was visible on a peak in the distance. Tsubasa dug a hole into the clay with his hands and told Chip to go ahead and investigate. "I have other things I must attend to," he said, "Report back to me if you find anything. Finally, DON'T. TOUCH. We don't know much about this Marudeyouna World, and anything could be potentially dangerous."

"I'll keep that in mind. _Mysto Aerotan_!" Chip called for his broomstick and took off across the landscape towards that bird creature on the rock. The skies continued to flash, but there was no sign of rain at any point. When Chip approached the Garuda he found it to be much larger than anticipated…and not really a Garuda at all. In truth, it more resembled a dragon of sorts.

Yellow scales formed armor plating about the creature's body, and its tail ended in a bow-like formation. Silver armor covered its legs, and the head of it much resembled Chip's Titan Zord form. Two large, sharp silver spikes jutted from its shoulders. Bolts of lightning crackled from its wings, and when it saw Chip approaching the Thunder Dragon turned its head and launched a bolt of electricity at the man on the broomstick. Chip almost died of fear, but pressed onward.

He swooped about the skies avoiding bolt after bolt until he neared a peak even higher than the one the Thunder Dragon had been perched atop. Resting on a stalagmite and rotating about with a yellow glow was a shining golden crossbow. A golden metal rod made up the main body, and a "V"-shaped end with golden etchings, rather like a knight's visor, topped it off. Chip sensed it was the Bow of Volgel, and hastily grabbed it in his midair flight.

Chip pointed the weapon at the steady Thunder Dragon and tried to fire, but the power of it was too much for him. He fell off his broom and landed on the ground. "_Jinga Majiiro_." Tsubasa had just completed his potion and turned to Chip.

"I see you have the bow. Now let's transform."

"I was just about to say that."

"Glad you didn't."

"Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

**_Tsubasa and Chip stand on Volgel's island in Magitopia. A yellow Mahou and Mystic circle descend, rapidly rotating, and cross over the two's bodies. The circles spin until their respective Garuda symbols interlock. Volgel himself rises and strikes a familiar pose alongside Tsubasa and Chip. Yellow energy surges up the two's bodies and forms the basis of their suits. Their helmets materialize and capes billow out to complete the transformation. They land in front of a glowing Garuda symbol and strike a pose._**

Once Tsubasa had attained Legend Mode the two posed in front of a yellow Legend circle. The Thunder Dragon was fast approaching and their time was slowly decreasing. They had to take action now.

"Sparking like lightning!" Chip announced enthusiastically.

"The color of intelligence, gifted with wit," added Tsubasa calmly.

With a final sounding off they declared "YELLOW THUNDER!"

"Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode!"

"_Goo Majiiro_! DialRod Bow Gun!"

Both weapons assumed a familiar crossbow mode while the Bow of Volgel remained embedded in the ground. The Thunder Dragon flapped its wings and sent bolts of lightning down from the sky. Chip and Tsubasa held their weapons to the air and absorbed the bolts to launch them back at the birdlike beast at twice the power. From out of the dark blue sky came another bolt; Tsubasa fell to his knees.

"Tsubasa!" Chip called, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine…" Tsubasa's voice was becoming increasingly more impassioned. The Magician of the Yellow dropped his helmet for a brief second and held out his hand. "Luludo!" Tsubasa called. In his hand appeared a small crystal vial containing a sparkling golden-yellow liquid. Tsubasa uncorked the vial and downed the liquid in one gulp before letting his helmet rematerialize.

"What was that?" Chip asked.

"Quickness Elixir," Tsubasa snapped his fingers, "watch." Nearly as fast as lightning itself Tsubasa raced to the top of the rock where the Thunder Dragon had been and called "_MagiBolt_!" A beam of lighting shot from his DialRod Bow Gun and struck the dragon in the back. Chip fired two beams from his Magi Staff Crossbow and blasted the dragon on the inside of its mouth.

"Potions, I see," Chip nodded.

"You're not bad yourself, newbie," Tsubasa nodded.

"…is the Bow of Volgel supposed to hover on its own?"

"It's doing WHAT?"

The Bow raised itself from the ground and turned upright before aiming itself at the Thunder Dragon; it was as though an invisible pair of hands was holding it. Lightning crackled and a translucent avatar of Volgel himself appeared around the weapon. He nodded to Tsubasa and Chip. Both understood what the golden-armored knight wanted. Three crossbows were aimed at the shocked Thunder Dragon.

"_Gonga Majika_!" they spoke together, "Yellow Thunder Triple Spark!"

The Bow of Volgel, Magi Staff Crossbow and DialRod Bow Gun ignited at their tips with sparks of lightning. The sparks shot out in three bolts that united into one massive beam of electricity and light. The Thunder Dragon opened its mouth, only to find the beam piercing down its throat and out its back. It collapsed to the ground and exploded in a burst of light and energy.

"We won! Awesome!" Chip exclaimed.

"Like I said, be careful," Tsubasa commented, "It's not over with yet." The Bow of Volgel fell into the sand once more before Tsubasa took it into his hands. He had a feeling he would need its power sooner rather than later.

* * *

Kai and Nick's journey had, reasonably, been the longest and most difficult. They hiked up the magnificent mountain on the horizon under their own power. No cycles and no Sky Hokis were involved. When they reached the top they found a stone archway that led into the cave's depths. Further in and further down they went; it became noticeably hotter. Conversation was kept to a minimum, as the two leaders still had animosity over the fight with the Dragon Keeper some time ago.

"Ozu, you're too reckless;" Nick said, "Too hot-headed to be of any use to Briarwood. If we're going into this volcano, we're only doing it because Rin said so. Otherwise I'm here to get in, get out, and never expect to see you again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Still lacking the courage, I see," Kai commented as he stood behind. His knight armor was starting to become swelteringly hot in the volcano, but he persevered. "Nick, you have to learn to be a leader. I know that being with people for long isn't how you work, but if you can't even get along with someone who is, by all means, you, then I'm afraid you're going to be lost forever."

Further down they went. Kai charged ahead and skidded to a halt on a rocky cliff. Debris tumbled into the fiery pit of magma bubbling below him. Nick walked to Kai's side and looked across the circular room's vast expanse. He could just make out something on the other side. It was the last of the Heavenly Saint Weapons. It was…

The Sword of Flagel. A transparent red blade shaped like fire rose from the black, igneous grip. Veins of magma were still visible in the handle, and silver metal trimmed the edges. It was truly a beautiful sight, but sadly, just out of reach of the Red Magicians. Kai nodded to Nick and told him that if they were to use their magic to its fullest they would have to transform.

"Okay, Ozu," Nick said, "but just this once and never again."

"I understand, Nick. Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji Majiiro_!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto Ranger_!"

**_Kai and Nick stand on the rim of the volcano that makes up Flagel's island in Magitopia. A red Mahou and Mystic circle descend, rapidly spinning, and cross over the two's bodies. The symbols spin until their Phoenix symbols interlock. Flagel himself rises from the center and strikes his pose alongside the red warriors. The basis of their suits, quickly followed by helmets and capes, materialize. Kai and Nick land in front of a glowing phoenix symbol and strike a final stance._**

"Spirited as flame!" Nick announced hesitantly.

"The color of passion with a burning heart!" Kai added spiritedly.

The two finished together, "RED FIRE!"

Nick called for his MagiStaff and transformed it to Sword Mode. The blade extended forth and the "M" lifted up. Kai kept his DialRod in tow. He aimed for a row of stalactites on the ceiling and slammed his Rod into the wall. One by one the stalactites fell in puzzle-like formation to create a bridge across the magma gap. But it wasn't a steady bridge; Kai knew how to get around this.

"Stalactites, take the form of a bridge! _JIRUMA MAJIIRO_!" Kai slammed his DialRod into the ground and watched as red magic rippled outward. The rock spikes took on a metallic sheen one by one, and sturdy metal bars appeared at their edges. It was a bridge that could withstand the heat and was firmly connected to the rocks at either end. Slowly, Kai and Nick started across.

The bridge was still wobbly, but it held up well. Nick, not yet knowing to control his loner, rebellious style of recklessness, charged ahead to the volcanic stone the Sword of Flagel was embedded in. He sheathed his Magi Staff Sword around his belt and grabbed the igneous handle of the Sword of Flagel. He wanted this quest to finish as soon as humanly possible.

"Nick!" Kai screamed, "CAREFUL!"

"I'm just pulling a sword from the stone."

"That's not what I'm warning you about."

Kai had heard the rumbling below him, and his senses told the truth when a mighty scaled creature broke forth and destroyed the other half of the bridge; this left Nick stranded with the Sword of Flagel. The creature in question was the Fury Dragon. Its body was coated in tough, red scales. Gold and silver armored plating covered its legs, tail and wings, and the wings themselves extended forth in red flame. Its head was like a dragonized version of Kai's MagiPhoenix form; its roar pierced the heat of the cave.

"I see now," Nick wielded both swords in hand and wondered what he could do. Kai had an idea, but was unsure if Nick could do it. Nick dodged the Fury Dragon's claws and narrowly escaped having rocks clawed off the wall fall on his head. In a moment of daring heroicness, Nick leapt onto the Fury Dragon's head and ran down its neck. He now stood on its back and was no more than inches away from the wings of searing-hot flame.

"FATAL BLADE!" Kai called.

"What?" Nick yelled back, "What did you say, Ozu?"

"If you want to prove to me you have the courage, the yuuki," Kai responded, "Use Fatal Blade with the Sword of Flagel and your MagiSti…Magi Staff! I…I know you can!"

"What's 'Fatal Blade'?"  
"You'll see! Yuuki will bring out the magic in you!"

"Stop babbling and tell me what to do!"

"USE BOTH YOUR SWORDS AT ONCE!"

Nick struggled to keep his hold on the Fury Dragon. He grabbed onto the golden armor on the creature's wings as the dragon flew about the cavern in an attempt to buck him off. The dragon jerked upward and sent Nick sliding towards his tail. Nick plunged his Magi Staff Sword into the scales of the creature. The Fury Dragon roared a painful roar. Nick stuck the Sword of Flagel into the dragon's scales somewhere above, and kept alternating swords until he was firmly on its back again. He heard something spark within him.

"I know what to do," Nick whispered, "Fatal Blade."

He crossed both swords at their blades and struck a pose with his feet. Nick pulled the swords backward and separated them as he swung his right foot outward. With the force of a Magitopian warrior the Red Mystic Ranger leapt into the air and came down with a crash. He stabbed both swords through the Fury Dragon and roared "RED FIRE FATAL BLADE!" As he fell towards the magma he activated the aura of phoenix fire around his body and flew onto the bridge. The flame dissipated. The dragon fell into the pit. Kai congratulated Nick.

"We won!" Kai exclaimed, "Fatal Blade saves the day!"

"Thanks, Ozu," Nick said, "I appreciate it."

One last spurt of flame launched from the magma; a red-hot coal situated itself near the stone where the Sword of Flagel had once been. It exploded into a flame, but the Red Magicians paid it no mind. It appeared as though someone, or something, was in the flame; it may have been human. A golden-toed boot stepped out from the fire and let a column of steam hiss from the floor.

"Red Magicians…don't think I'm finished just yet."


	7. The Other Side of Me

**Chapter 7: The Other Side of Me**

"Red Magicians…don't think I'm finished just yet." The voice was gravelly, yet it had all the sting of a searing matchstick. Kai and Nick, safe on the other side of the magma canyon, assumed they had won through Nick's bout of courage and Red Fire Fatal Blade. They hadn't…if anything, the battle had only intensified by the blow of Nick's sword. The two red mages turned their heads to see who was speaking to them.

His suit resembled theirs to a great degree. The same golden "M" belt buckle, the same black-and-gold lines running down his sides and his legs…he was familiar. Except for the fact that a golden plate adorned his chest shield, his visor was raised from the helmet, and he lacked a cape. Golden armor plated his legs and arms, and a sole weapon was in his hands; no MagiPhone nor Mystic Morpher nor MagiStick was in sight.

The weapon was a sword. It had a golden grip and a long, curved silver blade with fiery designs etched in. For any other man it would have been a burden to carry, but he wielded it with excellent proficiency. He pointed the sword at Kai and Nick and uttered but two words. "_Nermax Majika_." Red energy ran up the silver blade and engulfed it in flame. Red, orange, and yellow fire appeared on the Red Magician's arms as he called out "INFERNO DRAGON SLASH!" A red beam sliced across Kai and Nick's bodies.

They fell to the ground and powered down. Kai saw a flash of the snowflake-shaped insignia of his Legend Power, than a red flash, then, at last, a return to the knight armor he had been wearing before the duel with the Fury Dragon. Kai and Nick readied their phones for another transformation, but the red mage leapt across the lava pit in a single bound and stood before the two as they lay there, face down, on the ground, struggling to get up.

"You're such simple fools," he venomously laughed, "Do you not know who I am? I am with you when there is hatred in your heart. I am there when you debate what to do, and I always push for the other choice. I am your dark side, your untamed side, and both of you know me very well. I am…" he held his sword above his head and went through a series of poses.

"The inferno that burns away all to ashes…" his sword created a ten foot tall wall of fire behind him that only made his appearance all the more frightening, "…Red Dragonmage!" A pillar of stone rose up beneath him and the fire wall grew. The phoenix symbol flashed behind him once before being replaced with a red Madou circle. "FURYRED!"

* * *

Across Heroes' Mountain, the others had met with their counterparts. Each wore scaled armor with a raised visor; all had silver plating, unlike Kai and Nick's drgonmage. Each of them had a menacing weapon that appeared to be the end of the tail of the dragon they had been fighting mere moments ago. FuryGreen had two large drills on his shoulders, and FuryYellow had silver spears. One by one they called off their names to their counterparts.

"The lightning storm that kills all where they stand! Yellow Dragonmage, FuryYellow!"

"The tsunami that crashes on the shore and washes away memories! Blue Dragonmage, FuryBlue!"

"The storm that blows away the world to nothingness! Pink Dragonmage, FuryPink!"

"The earthquake that swallows all into the depths! Green Dragonmage, FuryGreen!"

FuryRed led the finishing call.

"Our magic turns to chaos and our rule is affirmed!"

All concluded the war cry.

"MaRyuu Sentai…FURYRANGER!"

* * *

"FuryRed?" Nick asked, "…so you're…"

"Just call me your beast within," FuryRed held his sword over the two magicians, "How about if I make things a little more interesting? For starters, I'll be taking this." He snatched the Sword of Flagel from Nick and holstered it around his belt, "and for your MagiPhone…" a single red beam from the MaRyuu Sword knocked Kai's MagiPhone onto a high-up ledge well out of his reach.

"I still have my Mystic Morpher," Nick struggled. He could barely move, and the heat was exhausting him, but the chance of victory was still there. "It share's Ozu's power. We can…"

"Oh, right, those," FuryRed scoffed, "_Zore Utum_." Nick's Mystic Morpher became thinner, longer, and eventually turned into a simple stick of polished wood topped with his phoenix symbol. FuryRed had reduced it to its wand form with a single spell. Nick knew what this meant.

"The magic is still with me," Nick said, "so try your worst."

* * *

Chip and Tsubasa, along with everyone else, were in the same position. Their Heavenly Saint Weapon was stolen, their MagiPhone was unobtainable, and their Mystic Morpher had been reduced to its wand form. FuryYellow presided over his fallen selves and stepped over Chip's wand. Chip shot a blast of electricity from his fingertips and repelled the attacker for a brief second. He held his wand to the sky and tried to use its magic.

"What are you doing?" FuryYellow asked.

"The Mystic Morpher was good, but the wand is stronger," Chip explained, "magic in its purest, most un-concentrated form is before me. The only way to be stronger is to use it without the wand, but I'm far from being at that level. _NERMAX MYSTO_!" FuryYellow took the Bow of Volgel and MaRyuu Bow and aimed them at chip.

"_Nermax Majika_." Chip collapsed to the ground. Tsubasa looked aside and winked. He still had the Quickness Elixir active. Tsubasa stood up, raced behind FuryYellow and had him in a neck hold. The Yellow Dragonmage turned his helmet towards Tsubasa and laughed. "And you thought I wouldn't expect that. HI-YAH!" FuryYellow lunged his shoulder and sent Tsubasa flying to the ground.

"Clearly you do not know the limits of our abilities."

* * *

Urara and Madison looked up at the helmeted visage of their adversary. The deadly sharp trident was held to their faces. As they lay on the shore, Madison felt something shrink behind her. Her tail, along with Urara's, had vanished entirely. Whether it was because they had come up on land or because FuryBlue had hurt them so much was uncertain.

"But…but…" Madison strained.

"I thought it was over," Urara groaned, "the dragon…"

"HA!" laughed FuryBlue, "You ARE simple.

"That dragon you and Maddie worked so hard to defeat? It's nothing more than my Majin form. Believe it or not, in human form, I and my comrades are MUCH more formidable. Such a lithe body is ours to control. Let's be honest – can you defeat someone who knows your every tactic?"

* * *

"That's impossible!" Vida gasped, "You can't…"

"What do you mean?" Houka took in a deep breath, "What do you know about us?"

"EVERYTHING," said FuryPink forcibly, "I know how tough it is for both of you to be the older sister. It must be quite frustrating to have your younger sibling pulling you down? You're free spirits, and should be allowed to live as such."

"But…family…" said Vida.

"…takes first priority," Houka finished.

"Don't feed me such lies!" FuryPink pointed both sais at Vida's watering eyes, "I know you too well. Without family, Vida, you could achieve everything you ever wanted. Platinum albums would be showing up in the stores worldwide with your name stamped on them. You, Houka, could have a horde of men at your every beck and call, treating you like the princess you know you really are. I know that's what you've always wanted. You can't outsmart me."

* * *

"As Nii-chan, I've never given up on family, and never will," Makito said.

"Calm down, Makito," Xander said as he forced himself to his feet, "He is I. If there's anybody Plan Xander would work on, it's Xander. Let me try and reason with him and we'll be out of this Marudeyouna World in no time flat." Xander stepped up to FuryGreen, swallowed his pride, and ignored the drills on his shoulders. He stared into the blank, emotionless helmet and began his discourse.

"Hello, FuryGreen. I'm Xander."

"I know," growled the Green Dragonmage.

"Listen, if you're really me…and Makito…you wouldn't attack us."

"Think again…" FuryGreen swung the MaRyuu Axe into the air and knocked aside Xander into a nearby tree.

"No luck…" Xander said, "We're done for."

* * *

"Now, before you die," FuryRed held both swords to Nick and Kai, "I may as well make it slow and painful. That is just the way a death should be. To see one's enemies scream your name as you take everything they once owned is something I derive much pleasure from. It all started with the defeat of one Hades Beast. And then another. And so on until I destroyed High Zobiru for kicks. Prepare for the end…

"_Ryuu Douza Zazare_," his voice turned to something akin to a snake's hiss crossed with a dragon's low breathing. A passerby would've heard nothing, but the words FuryRed spoke were unique to Kai and Nick. Each heard something different…something he didn't want to hear. This effect had been brought on all the Rangers. The MaRyuu Sentai knew no mercy, especially against what they considered their weaker halves.

_"Give up now, Nick," the voice whispered in his head, "You don't NEED them. All your life you've been on the run, and survived just fine. Now, with your powers, the chance to be a lone wolf again beckons to you. You believe in magic enough to make use of it…now put your effort into making it work for YOU. No one could stand in your way. No one would be there to tell you what to do. Forget Briarwood. Forget your friends. Embrace the open road, Nick. You know you want to…"_

Nick held his hands to his head. He had no awareness of either the boiling heat or the MaRyuu Sword pointed at his head. FuryRed rotated his helmet and looked at Kai. Kai's scream overtook Nick's moan with ease. He, too, was being told by the voice of his devilish side to do things he never thought he could imagine. Yet, somewhere deep inside him, was that voice. He could hear it clearly for the first time.

_"Your wants are very clear, Ozu Kai. You want Yuka Yamzaki-san to be yours at last, right? Then go for her. Use your magic to claim her. AND Akane. Possibly even Rin, should you desire. Mandora Boy has told you of the Venus Mist; so go to Magitopia and take it. Your own cheerleaders. You could even use your magic to become a world champion soccer player. Grab the future, Kai. It's been before you all this time. Magic can make anything possible…so use it to make what you want possible. There's no need for family now, not when the entire world is given to you on a silver platter. Trust your instincts. They know what you must do."_

* * *

Tsubasa and Chip were lying down near a pointed rock in Heroes' Mountain Valley. FuryYellow had the two bows pointed at their faces. The mysterious roaring hiss filled the air. Within it echoed thoughts, clear as day, to the Yellow Magicians. This was the power the Furyranger held. They knew how to get inside the heads of their better selves and bring out the roaring beast within. It was working all too perfectly.

_"Life's always been like this, hasn't it, Chip? Being bullied by those stronger than you. Your imagination always outstripped theirs, so use that imagination and your magic and show them what's what. Show them the warrior that's always existed within you. The possibilities it could create are limitless. Carpe diem. Seize the day! A simple electroshock to the school's system and you could broadcast your words of wit to all. Then you would stand above those who once bullied you. To be on the top for once…doesn't it sound marvelous?"_

Tsubasa had painful memories he had moved on from, but not repressed. One of those was being brought up against him now. The event still remained in his thoughts to this day, and it took him out of the blue when FuryYellow began slamming his psyche with that particular thought.

_"These dark urges in you must come out, Tsubasa. You already used Chronogel's Forbidden Magic once before. Use it again. And again. Ever more and ever more until you finally become the greatest wizard mankind has ever seen. Do it for Kouta. Do it for Rei. The more you use it, the more familiar it will become. All you have to do is break the spell on the book once more and all of its secrets shall lie before you. Dark Magic calls…"_

"Who powers you…FuryYellow?" Chip struggled to say.

The Dragonmage looked to the sky, saw lightning flash across the clouds, and turned down to Tsubasa. Three words echoed from his helmet and sent a chill down Tsubasa's spine. "Heavenly Saint Raigel."

* * *

Madison and Urara had become used to being on land again, but FuryBlue holding the two tridents to their heads ensured they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. FuryBlue's whispering echoed unmerciful thoughts into their minds. While Madison and Urara were shy, timid and demure, it didn't mean they weren't harboring thoughts that could be used against them. FuryBlue knew of several.

_"You are nobody, Madison," the words reverberated in Madison's head, "Always been in Vida's shadow, and always will. That's how life goes for you. 'That was great; Madison, but Vida did it first. She did it so GREAT, too.' You can never overshadow her. All you can do is stand in the distance and record as your sister achieves everything you wish to accomplish before you do. Give up the fight. There is no way you can win. You…are…NOBODY."_

Urara was suffering from much the same. She and Madison were so much alike it left Urara rather shocked upon their first meeting. Her thoughts, however, reflected a different side of her personality. A side that only a samurai's katana had brought out once before; that day seemed so long ago. The selfish Urara Ozu was quickly resurfacing in the body of the selfless one.

_"You're a woman, Urara. Let Hikaru do what he pleases. He's a Saint, so he can take care of himself. You, however, need to start making YOUR life better. Buy that car, those fancy clothes, and find yourself in the position of an idol you always wished to have. The potential is there. All that must be done is severing ties with your family. Would you rather live a rich life or be stuck in that place you call home? The Magic Room will pale in comparison to the mansion that will be yours. Head for that dream and leave the stragglers behind."_

* * *

The fields of cherry blossoms were deep, red, roses with sharpened thorns to Houka and Vida. Houka was curled upon the ground, and Vida remained stone-still against a tree. FuryPink tucked her sais about her golden belt and laughed. They were helpless. She could read their every thought, and each word of disappointment was nectar-sweet to the Pink Dragonmage. She had them exactly where she wanted them.

_"They don't understand you, Vida. You're temperamental, bitchy, and lash out at anybody who dares to mess with you. So why do you even waste your time with those losers? Hang out with YOUR crowd. The DJs and the rockers are where you belong. They'll understand you. They'll respect you. And they won't be constantly pestering you like Chip. You know that this would be the right move. Now follow it. Join YOUR people."_

Houka was reflecting on her dating history. It was one of the things that defined her. She was proud of it, but there were repercussions. FuryPink was well aware of this. Houka was now becoming more aware herself, and the truth left her shuddering there amongst the sakura petals.

_"So many men…so long…so many years; it's been like this ever since you were a teenager, Houka. Face facts – you're looser than your skirt. Who knows what could be in your body after all these years? Is it really even your body anymore? You've dated more people than you can count, and had their way and yours more than once. You'll never find a serious relationship. Not in all your years. So why try? Continue to date until you can date no more. This is the path your life must take…"_

* * *

Xander and Makito, as well, were down for the count.

_"Time to face facts, Xander. You're a wimp. Every day you go up against demons and zombies and vampires and dark wizards, and what do you do? 'I'll reason with them.' Real freakin' smart. Evil has no limits on what it can do, and what it can do includes using weapons to beat you into the ground. Makito was right. You need courage. Reasoning with them will get you nowhere. Why do you do it? Is it because you're afraid of losing? Afraid you'll not be strong enough? WHY!"_

_"Makito, are you really doing all that you can? Are you truly living up to your potential? You lost the collection bag. You may even have lost Eriko, the one girl who wanted you, even if it was only for your farmland. You're clumsy, and Urara handles the family taxes better than you do. If you were stronger, you'd assume the role older brother and do those things for yourself. Have you not seen the untapped limits of evil? That may hold the key for you to take control. …no, I must ignore the Green Dragonmage's thoughts! Yes, you will listen to me! OUT! NEVER!"_

Makito and Xander were left hanging motionless, but alive, from the limbs of the nearby tree. FuryGreen laughed and held his two axes, one of Groungel, the other his own, to the trunk. He laughed an evil laugh and began to hack away at the branches.

* * *

FuryRed had paid attention when he was the dragon to Kai and Nick's fighting techniques. He had witnessed them laying on the hard, rock ground for long enough. He poked the tip of the Sword of Flagel and MaRyuu Sword into the ground with a clink. The metallic sound caused Kai and Nick's eyes to snap from their dazed look. The first thing they saw was none other than FuryRed striking the Fatal Blade fighting stance.

"It's time I ended your miserable existences," he chuckled, "FURY DRAGON…" he slid back and rubbed the swords against each other, "FATAL…" red fire coursed across the weapons, "BLADE!" The swords swung outward and created a massive red dragon of flame that headed straight for Kai and Nick. The two had barely enough time to stand before the dragon struck them directly across their chests.

FuryRed watched them burn. He turned around, snapped his fingers, and laughed. "Checkmate." Suddenly the crackling of the fire died down. FuryRed turned his head and saw Kai and Nick standing in their knight armor with nary a scratch or burn on their bodies. A red aura surrounded them. It was beyond impossible. Had he had eyes, they would have been wide in shock.

"How are you still alive!"

"You forgot one thing, FuryRed," Kai held out his hand and called the Sword of Flagel to his grip with a simple utterance of "_Luludo_". Nick took out his Magi Staff sword and held it alongside Kai. "That, which does not kill us, makes us stronger." Nick stepped forward. There was a heroic manner to his walk now, as if he'd gained ages of experience in that one moment.

"We've lived through those bad moments, yes, but there have been good ones as well. As long as we keep our memories intact we will continue to strive and go forward. That's why we're stronger than you. We know more than just pain and suffering. We know passion. We know joy. We know hope. And we know…courage. Courage is the strongest of these emotions. It is why we will WIN!" Nick held his wand above his head and called "_UTUM ZORE_!"

Nick's wand transformed into his Mystic Morpher yet again; Kai's MagiPhone lowered itself from the ledge and appeared in his hands. "Let's finish this once and for all," Kai said, "Nick, together!" Nick and Kai raised their phones into the air and pressed enter. They spoke together one word – "_JINGAJIN_!" The phones, held together, turned into a fireball.

The fireball spread beautiful fiery wings and changed its shape until it resembled a phoenix. "PHOENIX FIRE BLAZE!" The bird of flame streaked past FuryRed. With a single flap of his wings the blazing energy bird incinerated the MaRyuu Sword to ashes. He dive-bombed through FuryRed and left his scaled armor aflame. FuryRed was heard muttering something under his breath.

Kai and Nick turned around against the flames and posed. "Checkmate!" A red magic circle appeared at their feet. They vanished in a burst of red light.

* * *

"YELLOW THUNDER TRIPLE SPARK!" FuryYellow stood before the revived Yellow Magicians. He had tried hitting them over the head with a sudden burst of lightening, but Chip still had the essence of Tsubasa's Draught of Refraction on him. Tsubasa realized he could run quick enough to avoid the blast, and did. Both had snapped from their nightmarish stupors.

The DialRod Bow Gun, Magi Staff Crossbow and Bow of Volgel's beams united once more into a massive lightning bolt. The bolt streaked across the cloud-covered quarry skies and shifted in shape to that of a Garuda. The bird streaked across the side of FuryYellow and knocked his MaRyuu Crossbow from his hand. The lighting garuda dove for FuryYellow with his beak out and shot through his chest. The MaRyuu Crossbow exploded in a burst of yellow sparks.

"Checkmate!" As Chip and Tsubasa celebrated their victory, they saw the Bow of Volgel hover to their side. The avatar of Volgel appeared yet again. He nodded to his warriors and waved his hand over the quarry. "_Goolu…Luuma…Lujuna_," his voice crackled. Chip and Tsubasa looked at the Heavenly Saint in admiration, and before they knew it, felt something under their feet.

It was a yellow Saint circle. The circle enveloped both of them in a yellow light and transported them out of Heroes' Mountain. Volgel had let them take his bow. It would be needed for the fight ahead.

* * *

"BLUE…"

"MERMAID…"

"SPLASH!"

Madison and Urara had announced their attack in unison. A waterspout had risen from the lake under their power and transformed into a massive version of the drill activated by _Maji Maji Gojika_. For the briefest of seconds a beautiful woman could be seen sparkling atop the stream. The stream then shot downward and took the shape of that woman.

FuryBlue tried to block with her MaRyuu Trident, but the drill shattered it to bits. The water-mermaid swished her tail across the lake's shore and knocked FuryBlue into the air. The Blue Dragonmage was lying on her back muttering something. Her scales turned iridescent. Before she vanished and collapsed into water, she uttered something to her counterparts.

"This isn't the end! You'll see! One more fight….REMAINS!" FuryBlue condensed into water and landed on the ground with a splash. The drill retreated and turned back to the placid surface of the lake. Madison and Urara, panting, looked out. The beautiful woman had appeared yet again. It was none other than Splagel herself. Splagel hovered outward and nodded to the Blue Magicians.

That one nod spoke leagues. It told Madison and Urara "Everything will be alright. Victory is at hand. Keep on striving, and you'll make it." Splagel waved her arm over the two Blue Magicians. A light curtain of water droplets covered the girls as a Saint circle appeared at their feet. Splagel, Madison and Urara vanished within an instant.

Once they had departed, the sunlight streaked through the water drops and left a brilliant rainbow sparkling over the crystal-blue shores.

* * *

Houka and Vida crouched to their knees and immediately leapt into the air. They locked hands and begun to rotate so fast they became a pink blur among the clouds. "PINK STORM DAGGER TORNADO!" The whirlwind swept FuryPink off the ground as a flurry of rose petals cut her suit to bits. Houka and Vida delivered a double corkscrew kick and watched as their adversary collapsed to the ground. Scales were falling off her suit, and her MaRyuu Sai blew away in the wind.

The Pink Magicians landed on the ground. "It's finally over, pinky," Vida remarked, "We beat you. Now NEVER enter my mind again, or there WILL be consequences."

"Pose of determination, Houka-chan SUPER version up!" Houka performed the motion with both of her hands.

"Checkmate!" FuryPink dissolved into a breeze of pink wind that blew across the landscape. They had truly won. Houka embraced her counterpart on their astounding victory; Vida didn't hesitate to return the favor. She, too, was happy that the nightmare was over.

The sound of flapping wings was heard. Wingel, resembling a European fairy in her appearance, descended from the sky. She waved her hand over the two. "_Goolu Luuma Lujuna_!" A pink Saint circle appeared at Houka and Vida's feet. They could feel themselves being lifted up onto the wind and back to their own world.

It was about time they were.

* * *

"TAURUS HORN CHARGE!" Makito, with the Axe of Groungel in hand, and Xander with his Magi Staff Axe, rubbed their feet against the ground. With their hearts aflame in passion they charged ahead and cut across FuryGreen's sides. FuryGreen swung out the broad side of his MaRyuu Axe to block, but the strength and courage of the Green Magicians rendered his weapons useless. FuryGreen collapsed to his knees.

"You may have escaped," he gasped, "but this fight is far from over. The Dragon Keeper has a surprise in store for your leaders. This may be the last you'll see of us, Magicians, but it is also the last you'll see of your leaders. Fare thee well." Makito and Xander turned around and snapped.

"Checkmate!"

As expected, Groungel, the tree-like being, lowered from the sky and raised his hand over his warriors. A green Saint circle spun up beneath their feet. Groungel nodded his head. "_Goolu…Luuma….Lujuna_…" his words were deep and comforting. Makito and Xander patted each other on the back on a job well done.

In the spot where they had departed via Groungel's spell a flower had begun to bloom. Heroes' Mountain would remain beautiful forevermore.

* * *

Four Saint circles appeared at the dragon's-head entrance to the Rootcore. Madison, Urara, Houka, Vida, Xander, Makito, Chip and Tsubasa all appeared in flashes of their respective color. In the hands of the Magirangers were the Heavenly Saint Weapons. Vida looked down at her body and noticed she felt much more comfortable. Her guess was confirmed.

"We're back to normal," she cheered, "We're back to normal! YES!" Chip, Madison, Vida and Xander were dressed in their black magician's outfits fitted with designs in their respective colors. The Magiranger, as before, were wearing their plaid-accented jackets. A minor error in the teleportation had put Chip in Tsubasa's leather pants. Chip tried to slide the pants off to exchange them with his counterpart when something shattered the silence.

"Who goes there?" asked Xander.

"Majiiro," Tsubasa whispered under his breath to switch his and Chip's outfits, in effect returning them to normal. Chip breathed a sigh of relief, which quickly changed to fear when he saw who had entered into the forest.

He came through a green Madou circle. A gnarled staff was in his hand. His eyes had narrow pupils that shone even through the evening darkness spreading through the forest. The Dragon Keeper had returned again. "No surprise that you eight survived my Fury Dragons unscathed. You are of no importance to me, anyway. The Red Magicians, though…they intrigue me. Let's see how well you can fight without them. _DOUZA RYU ZAZADO_!" Two dragon-shaped, forest-green bursts of energy shot from his staff.

"Chou Mahou Henshin!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

* * *

Nick and Kai, still in their knight armor, fell to their knees. The armor, much like the air around them, had become unbearably cold. The sky was pitch-black, and the only sources of warmth were the clouds of hissing steam exiting from the cave openings in the distance. Nick peered over the edge of the cliff he and Kai had landed on. What he saw was a fall so deep it could've gone on for eternity.

The last traces of a Madou circle vanished from beneath the two's feet. Five armored bodies walked forward. FuryRed's familiar, and still frightening, voice echoed in the depths of wherever they were. "_Ryuu…Douza….Ryujira_." Kai decided to shed some light on their location. "_Maji_."

The clouds of steam were the breath of dragons slumbering in their perches. All dragons were chained up by magical bindings. The five figures ahead of them were just as they expected – the MaRyuu Sentai Furyranger. Their weapons were in their hands. While their bodies were scarred, they appeared to be slowly regaining strength. Nick, in anger, asked "Where are we? Why did you take us here? How are you STILL ALIVE?"

"This is OUR Marudeyouna World, Red Magicians," said FuryRed, "The Dragon's Lair. Home of the Dragon Keeper. Land of No Return. And your final resting place. We have one last surprise in store. MaRyuu Sentai – GO!" The Furyranger held their weapons to the air and called out but one spell.

"_RYUU DOUZA RYU ZANGA_!"

Beams of black light struck their weapons and lifted them into the air. A cloud of black fog surrounded their bodies. The cloud expanded in size, and when it solidified, took form, a massive foot stepped on the ground. Kai and Nick looked up. It was MagiKing. The only difference was that he was colored primarily black with purple accents. The familiar gold "M" was still across his chest and helmet. Black MagiKing lifted his hat.

From their chessboard cockpit, with a Madou circle shining behind them, the MaRyuu Sentai spoke the phrase that would start Kai and Nick's penultimate battle. "Majin Gattai! Black MagiKing! Number One!"


	8. Attack on the Surface

**Chapter 8: Attack on the Surface**

"_Ryuu Ryu Ryugaro_!" The Dragon Keeper slammed his staff on the ground and had a green Madou circle pass over his body. He grew to four times his height and looked at the small magicians below him. "_Ryugaro_!" Another dragon-shaped beam launched from his staff. The eight Rangers rolled out of the way and into the mouth of the dragon's-head that was the Rootcore entrance.

"We don't have a moment to lose!" Makito said, "Now!"

"I'm with him," Xander added, "If he's going giant, then so are we!"

"_Galwit Mysto Prifior_!"

"_Maaji Jiruma Golu Gogoolu_!"

Xander, Vida, Madison and Chip grew in size and transformed to the Mystic Titans. Xander was the Minotaur, a powerful beast, larger than the others, with an axe in his hand. Vida was the smallest as the Mystic Sprite. She rested calmly on Xander's shoulder. Madison became the Mermaid and picked up her trident for battle. Chip, the full breadth of his wings extending outward, became the Mystic Garuda. They looked down and saw that their Legend counterparts were undergoing a transformation they had never seen before.

Makito, Houka, Urara and Tsubasa struck a different pose on four ends of a Legend circle. Light in their respective colors shone beneath them as their bodies became one and they grew in size. Where they once stood was now a white lion with a golden mane. Lines in green, yellow, blue and pink were on each of his arms, and two discs were on his front legs. They had become the Legendary Majuu MagiLion.

"We need to combine, too!" Xander said.

"Ancient Power, Mystic Titans!" spoke the four Mystic Rangers together, "Dragon Formation! _Galwit Nermax Mysto Du_!" With their arms extended outward and their bodies glowing in their respective colors they raised into the air. The four who made up MagiLion knew this well…for many months ago, it had happened to them….before they had Legend Power.

Xander formed the body, Chip the wings, Madison the tail, and Vida the head of the massive Titan Dragon. In both the Dragon and the Lion four minds had become one. They were more animals than people, but were intelligent enough to attack wisely. The battle began with MagiLion charging ahead with a thunderous roar.

The King of Beasts jumped into the air and extended his right claw. A multicolored aura surrounded the leg as he scratched across the Dragon Keeper's hard armor. Marks were left, but the Keeper remained undamaged. MagiLion kept close to the Titan Dragon. As the Titan Dragon extended its wings the Keeper had a grim smile cross his face.

Under his breath he muttered "Fools".

* * *

"Black…MagiKing?" Kai stuttered, "It's…impossible."

"Far from it," FuryRed laughed, "Just imagine what could've been if Dark Magic drove the King of Majin instead of your Magitopia-borne, weak Light Magic. It now stands before you. It will crush you into the dust. Black MagiKing – GO!"

Kai and Nick rolled out of the way of the foot just as they drew their golden phones. Nick, knowing only one spell for mecha-sized combat, typed in "1-2-5" and pressed enter. "_Galwit Mysto Prifior_!" He stood where he was and waited for any attack to come his way. For now, he was invincible.

A red Mystic circle descended over Nick's body and transformed him into the Red Mystic Ranger. Seconds later, another one fell. Nick took the shape of a humanoid warrior with a silver sword in hand. Like all the Titans an "M" was across his chest. A gold gem was embedded in Nick's forehead, and a pair of shield-like wings guarded his back. "MYSTIC PHOENIX!"

"I'll need just a bit more of a kick than that," Kai thought, "_Goolu Golu Majika_!" A Saintly voice echoed the three syllables as Kai first transformed into MagiRed, then MagiPhoenix. MagiPhoenix was exactly like Nick's Mystic Phoenix Titan form in every respect, but Kai's Majin state was to quickly change. Black MagiKing stopped its attack and gazed downward.

A golden Mahou circle descended from the heavens and slid down Kai's metallic armored form. When Nick next glanced at where Kai stood he saw a brilliant golden light radiating across the Dragon's Lair. Kai's forehead gem had become red as the armor around his face shone gold. The "M" design on his chest, his belt and the inner parts of his legs, as well as his sword, all had a golden sheen to them. Kai backflipped into the air and landed on a cliff as he struck his finishing pose.

"Saint…MagiPhoenix!" A golden Phoenix symbol appeared behind him as Kai leapt down to Nick's side. "We can take them this way for now. If they're using MagiKing…"

"Don't you mean the Titan Megazord?" Nick questioned.

"MagiKing, Titan Megazord, same difference," Kai remarked, "The thing is that we know their techniques. If we combine our strengths we should be able to win. Nick, let's go!"

"Right!"

Nick jumped into the air as his Phoenix Sword charged with red energy. Just as the aura of flame reached the tip of the blade Nick clashed the sword with Black MagiKing's King Calibur. He seemed to freeze in midair. In the dim light of the lair Black MagiKing's face looked demonic, and Nick could feel its full power when the King Calibur was swung and sent him flying onto the back of a black dragon resting in one of the caves.

Nick scrambled away from the beast as fast as he could. He looked to the bleak skies and saw Kai crossing his legs and arms. He dropped his Saint Phoenix Sword and leapt for Black MagiKing. Golden flames engulfed his body as he slammed his right leg into the side of the Majin King with great force.

"SAINT….PHOENIX….TORNADO….KICK!" Kai yelled. Golden energy burst outward from the point Kai had struck. Saint MagiPhoenix landed on the ground and grabbed his golden blade to prepare for the next exchange of attacks. Black MagiKing held its King Calibur to the sky as the voices of the MaRyuu Sentai Furyranger rang out in demonic unison.

"Dragon Climax! King Calibur…MADOU SLASH!" The sword of darkness rotated in a circle as the Garuda's wings extended outward. The symbol of evil, the Madou circle, shone with a blackish-purple glow before Black MagiKing. The dark King Calibur slashed across the middle of the seal and attacked Kai and Nick. Kai held up his palm and yelled "_JINGA GOLU MAJUNA_!" but found it hardly enough to withstand the blow.

Black MagiKing placed the tip of the King Calibur's blade on the ground and traced a Madou circle beneath it. Ghostly images of the sword rose up. Every one of them was aimed at the Phoenixes struggling to get up. "PHANTOM ILLUSION!" Kai and Nick braced for impact.

* * *

The terrifying black Titan Dragon swooped up into the sky, made a hard right, and flew at a quickened speed down towards the ground where the Keeper waited. It opened its mouth and released three streams of fire at once. The streams split off in different directions before reuniting into a large fireball aimed at the Dragon Keeper. The Keeper barely flinched.

"_Zazare_," he whispered, "_Ryaara_." The flame fizzled out before it reached his chest. A beam of green light shot from the onyx orb atop his staff and struck the Titan Dragon on its forehead. Slowly the reptilian beast descended to the ground and stood at a standstill. MagiLion raced over with his mouth roaring growls of encouragement. The united mind of the four Ozu siblings knew something was wrong with their other selves.

MagiLion's eyes cast a glance at the Titan Dragon. The white lion's mouth opened and let out a worried roar. The Titan Dragon turned its head, roared and swung its blue tail towards MagiLion. The Lion was sent flying and landed against a cliff at the edge of the forest. It roared something to the Dragon Keeper that sounded like it was asking "Why? What have you done to them?"

The Keeper raised his staff and pointed it at the Titan Dragon. "Fools," he repeated once again, "did you REALLY think you could defeat the Dragon Keeper with a DRAGON? Such simple minds for what are supposed to be the finest magicians in this or any dimension accessible from the Marudeyouna World. I was hoping for two, but your Legend Power and MagiLion stopped that from happening.

"So, family Ozu…do you think you can save them? With every passing second Xander, Vida, Madison and Chip slowly lose their humanity and join my army of beasts. In time they won't be able to assume their Titan form again, much less become the humans they once were. Time is ticking…"

MagiLion could feel the courage of its united soul rising. The cliff beneath it began to rise; two lines of fire shot out to create a path. "We won't let you get away with this!" the King of Beasts thought, "LION CLAW SLASH!" The white feline started its charge down the cliff.

* * *

Kai and Nick were lying on the ground, hopeless and helpless, with the Phantom Illusion swords aimed at them. Black MagiKing let loose the weapons on the two. Nick knew that this may be the end, and if it was, his only regret was that he never got the chance to say…

"Is that a horse?" Kai and Nick saw a Mystic circle and a Saint circle appear before them. Two four-legged figures appeared in a flash of light and took the hit. When the smoke from the blast had cleared they stood there without a scratch. Kai was certain they were who they were. Both were horses, rather like their Titan and Majin forms, in white and black. The white horse had a golden horn on his head shaped like Kai's Saint Phoenix Sword.

"Unicoron!" Kai cheered, "You came!"

"Catastros! Thanks!" Nick exclaimed, "Never thought I'd see him again."

"Catastros?" Kai asked, "That's Valkyrion."

"No, he's Catastros," Nick explained, "Koragg's horse. Why do you think they came?"

"They came to help," Kai said, "You know what that means."

"Yes," Nick nodded, "It's that time once more."

Kai swung his arms in a familiar motion as he called out "_Maaji Maji Jiruma Jinga_!" A voice from the heavens echoed the words he had spoken. Unicoron rearranged his very form to that of an armored suit as Saint MagiPhoenix leapt into the air and fit himself into the unicorn's chest in a burst of golden flame. Unicoron's tail fit itself into place as Kai announced the name of his new form.

"When fire and light become one, the holy Majin appears! Tenkuu Gattai…SAINTKAISER!"

"_Galwit Equestras Mysto Unios_!" Catastros rearranged his equine form much the same way as Unicoron had done with Kai. Nick attached to Catastros' chest and the black steed's tail formed his chestplate and new head. A blazing-hot Mystic circle shone behind Nick as he called to the sky. "CENTAURUS PHOENIX MEGAZORD!" He and Nick struck a final pose with their weapons out.

"The Phantom Titan! The Holy Majin! Fire, Light and Darkness as one! Going forth into battle, the Steed Warriors!" The atmosphere in the Dragon's Lair had changed considerably. Where once there was fear, there was hope. Where once there was hopelessness, there was courage. Where once there was a shadow Majin, there were now two equine knights.

"I refuse to lose to the likes of you!" FuryRed growled, "We need stronger spells!" The Furyrangers nodded their heads in agreement. They had no other choice. FuryRed was fighting blindly and begrudgingly. There was no stopping him.

"_Ryuu Douza Ryu Ryugaro_! DRAGON MADOU SLASH!" Black MagiKing went through the same motions it had for the Madou Giri, except this time, it stabbed the tip of the blade through the center of the circle at the end. It was as if a portal to the afterlife had been opened up. Avatars of the five Fury Dragons flew through towards the two knights. Nick didn't know how to react. Could fire stop the ghostly dragons?

"HORN LANCER! Unicorn Thrust!" Using Unicoron's horn as a spear, Kai had thrust the Horn Lancer through all five dragons at once. Nick, his own weapon in hand, stood in amazement. The dragon avatars shone gold before disappearing in a flurry of sparks. Kai snapped his fingers and looked to Black MagiKing. "The highest Majin. The bravest steed from Magitopia. The son of Bragel. Together, these things are unbeatable. Do you think you're so strong NOW, FuryRed?"

"GET…THEM!" FuryRed screamed and commanded Black MagiKing forward with an almost berserker-like motion. SaintKaiser and the Centaurus Phoenix Megazord readied for battle. Nick, seizing control of his bladed weapon, held the lance to the sky and called out a spell he had used once before alongside his teammates.

"Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!" The weapon made of Catastros ignited with a bright flame and traced a red-orange Mystic circle in the sky. SaintKaiser leapt onto the seal, using it as a platform, and jumped into the air. When he reached the apex of his bound, he pointed the head of the Horn Lancer forward. Golden energy began to form around his body.

"Saint Horn Finish!" The body of Unicoron appeared beneath the lance in a spiritual form as SaintKaiser flew towards Black MagiKing at an ever quickening pace. The whinny of the unicorn was heard in the darkness. As SaintKaiser descended, Nick slashed his own lance through the spell seal and sent a stream of flame in Black MagiKing's direction.

The Horn Lancer and the stream of fire collided on Black MagiKing's chest at the same moment. Kai flipped away and landed beside Nick. They turned around, held their weapons together, and announced "Checkmate!" Black MagiKing was surrounded by smoke and fire in dark hues, all happening in rapid succession, until he finally combusted back into the forms of the Furyranger.

Already worn from their battles, all the Furyranger could do was to grasp for the Centaurus Phoenix Megazord and SaintKaiser's legs in desperation. "The Keeper will know of this," FuryRed growled, "he will avenge us! DAMN YOU, RED MAGICIANS!" In bursts of their respective elements, the MaRyuu Sentai Furyranger was finished once and for all. Kai and Nick left the armored suits of Unicoron and Catastros and returned to the ground. The steeds, their purpose having been served, return to Koragg and Magitopia, respetively.

"So, where do we go from here?" Nick asked, "Has to be some way to escape this world."

"I know the teleport spell," Kai said sheepishly, "but I never did master it."

"Maybe the Mystic Speeder's what we need," Nick suggested, "_Galwit Mysto Motro_." The red bike appeared before him. Kai held his head and shrugged.

"That will never do."

"Why not?"

"This part of the Marudeyouna World is tightly locked. Very little can pierce through the magical barrier to the surface world."

"Do you know anything that can."  
"I do," Kai said as an idea jumped into his mind, "The Sword of Flagel!"

"That's great!"

"But first we have to find a weak point in the barrier. Nick, become MagiPhoenix again and leave the rest to me."

"You mean the Phoenix Titan?"

"Yes, now get to it!"

"_Galwit Mysto Prifior_!"

"_Maaji Golu Majuulu_!"

Kai's body changed shape to become a crimson-plumed bird with a golden protective covering about his head. Fire literally flew from the end of his wings, and his solemn cry pacified the dragons captured by the Keeper across the cave. Nick, once again the Mystic Phoenix, leapt onto MagiFireBird's back and held the now-miniscule Sword of Flagel in his palm.

"_MAJIKA LULUDO_!" Nick yelled, having heard the words to say in Kai's song-like screech. The Sword of Flagel was surrounded by crimson-red flame and increased in size until it was the size of his Phoenix Sword. MagiFireBird flew through the skies towards a point on the horizon glittering like starlight. Nick held out the Sword of Flagel; his eyes narrowed in anticipation.

When MagiFireBird streaked past the point in the sky, Nick held the Sword out to his side. The translucent, fiery-red blade scraped against the dark sky and opened a swirling dimensional pathway in the form of three interlocked Saint Circles arranged in a triangular fashion. MagiFireBird sounded its birdcall yet again. The Sword of Flagel shone with a red aura.

The seal placed by Sungel, Lunagel and Magiel accepted the FireBird's song and the Sword's strength as signs of passage. The circles separated and opened a glowing circular portal. MagiFireBird flew through with the Mystic Phoenix still atop his back. They were going back to the surface world at last.

* * *

The Dragon Keeper was pushed aside by the Lion Claw Slash. He hadn't seen it coming. The Keeper fired barrage after barrage of energy at MagiLion, but the power and courage of the Ozu siblings kept the lion safe from any attacks. A portal in the sky opened up and MagiFireBird flew through with Nick on its back. The Keeper sent more blasts upward, but MagiFireBird repelled them with its wings.

Some of the now-aflame projectiles the phoenix had bounced back landed around the Titan Dragon. The black dragon was engulfed in the flames, but Nick noticed the flames didn't hurt his teammates. Rather, the fire had a cleansing effect. Coupled with the phoenix song, it brought the collective mind of Madison, Vida, Xander and Chip back to its state of a tamed beast. MagiFireBird swept past the giant Dragon Keeper as Nick jumped off his back.

"PHOENIX SPIN KICK!" The Dragon Keeper flew into a cliff with a crash. An explosion rose around him. Kai and Nick left their respective Majuu and Titan states, and the other eight returned to normal alongside them. Nick checked once again to make sure the other Mystic Rangers were no longer under the slowly-gripping hand of death that was the Dragon Keeper's spell. A snide remark from Vida and an "AWESOME!" from Chip confirmed they were as normal as they had ever been.

"I think the Keeper's done for," Nick said, "Good work."

"Not exactly," Kai pointed to the cliff side, "He's stronger than that."

The Keeper, now at normal size, walked forward and pointed his staff first at the Rangers, then the ground. "So, you ten survived my little game?"

"We did," Vida said, "and it has only made us stronger."

"What are you going to do about it?" Houka snapped.

"Why, what I do best;" the Keeper replied, "come back stronger than before. KORAGG! NECROLAI! MORTICON! ARISE FROM THE UNDERWORLD! _Ury Ryu Zazare_!"

Four Madou circles traced themselves on the ground around his feet. From the purple one, farthest to the right, appeared Koragg, armed with his sword. His new body granted him increased strength and endurance that he couldn't wait to unleash. From the dark blue circle, to the right of Koragg, came Morticon. Steam hissed from his engine parts. Finally, a gray circle produced Necrolai, crossbow at the ready. The Dragon Keeper had a grim smile cross his lips.

"The armies of the underworld are on my side. What are you to do now?"

"Nii-chan, nee-chan!" Kai yelled, "Let's go!"

"You guys ready?" Nick shouted.

"READY!" came the chorus of voices.

Ten golden cell phones appeared in the hands of the magicians.


	9. Turning Overflowing Courage into Magic

**Chapter 9: Turning Overflowing Courage into Magic**

"Heavenly Saints, grant us the power of magic!" sounded the ten magicians at once. Their motions were the same, although their words different. Images of Flagel, Volgel, Splagel, Wingel and Groungel descended from a large Mahou circle in the sky and stood behind their respective magicians. Koragg stood with quiet calmness before the Saints, but the rest were trembling in before the holy light emanating from the sky gods.

"Chou Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Maji…MAJIIRO_!"  
"Magical Source, Mystic Force! _Galwit Mysto…RANGER_!"

Ten bodies backflipped onto the cliff and became clad in the suits of the mystical knights Koragg, the Dragon Keeper, Necrolai and Morticon had come to know. The Mahou circle hovering in the sky exploded into a Legend circle and descended over the ten. The Mystic Rangers' helmets materialized and the Ozu siblings went to Legend Mode and had their DialRods drop into their hands. The Heavenly Saint Weapons were tossed into the air and landed behind their respective duos; they continued to produce spiritual images of the five elemental Saints.

The Keeper looked up only to see that the ten had vanished. The earth began to shake at his feet as up rose a stone pillar with Makito and Xander perched atop. With Groungel posing along with them, they announced their names to the armies of the underworld.

"The roaring earth elements!" they yelled together.

"Warriors of Groungel!" said Makito.

"Green Magicians!" proclaimed Xander.

"Legend…MagiGreen!"

"Green Mystic Ranger!"

Necrolai saw a pink tornado blow by her side. When the wind had faded it revealed Houka and Vida, Wingel alongside them, readying for battle. A faint scent of sakura blossoms hung in the air as the two female warriors made their names known on this battlefield.

"The blowing wind elements!"

"Warriors of Wingel!"

"Pink Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiPink!"  
"Pink Mystic Ranger!"

The lake exploded in a spray of water to reveal a stone platform hovering on its surface. Sunlight shone through the waves and created a rainbow behind Madison and Urara. Had Necrolai not been scared, it would've soothed the soul with its simple splendor and amazing strength of heart.

"The shaking water elements!"  
"Warriors of Splagel!"

"Blue Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiBlue!"

"Blue Mystic Ranger!"

Morticon was nearly killed the sudden lightning strike in front of him. Sparks hovered around the two it had brought. Energy flowed through the bodies of the two magicians and charged them with emotion to the point where Chip was ready to enter battle at that very moment. But the formalities had to be done with first.

"The galloping thunder elements!"

"Warriors of Volgel!"

"Yellow Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiYellow!"

"Yellow Mystic Ranger!"

Koragg saw the earth split and a wall of fire appear before him. To his non-surprise, it contained Kai and Nick. Kai's fiery passion shone through brighter than ever before. Even Nick, usually stoic, appeared charged with courage he had taken on from his other self.

"The burning flame elements!"

"Warriors of Flagel!"

"Red Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiRed!"

"Red Mystic Ranger!"

A quick flash of multicolored light later and the ten stood atop the cliff in a line. Down the line they were arranged – Chip, Madison, Vida, Xander, Nick, Kai, Makito, Houka, Urara and Tsubasa. All fell silent. Kai and Nick stepped forward and spoke the final words before the battle began. Their voices were impassioned, confident and livelier than ever before.

"Overflowing courage and belief come together…" Kai began.

"The power of magic opens new horizons!" Nick finished.

"Power Rangers…Mystic Force!"

"Mahou Sentai…Magiranger!"

"We are…" spoke Kai and Nick with their hands in a fist.

"The Legendary Magicians!" A final, united stance was struck as a large Legend circle with a Mahou circle in its center shone behind the ten. Each duo snapped their fingers and charged into battle.

The Dragon Keeper pointed his staff forward. He yelled "ATTACK!"

Deep within the woods, the strongmen were engaging in heated combat. Makito had his DialRod ready; Xander had already transformed his Magi Staff to Axe Mode. Morticon slammed his sword, made of The Master's tooth, into the ground and sent a shockwave of energy forth. Makito jumped, dodged the attack, and called "_Jiruma Majika_!"

A vine from a nearby tree snapped Morticon's sword from his hand. Xander, the power of his Saint flowing through him, was at such a level of magical power he shocked Makito by using one of HIS spells. "_Goo Majika_!" Xander commanded, "For the safety of all – PLAN XANDER EARTH CRASH!" The Magi Staff Axe shone green with energy. Makito could swear he saw the Axe of Groungel imposed over it for a brief second.

Xander leapt into the air and slammed the axe against the ground. Rocks in all shapes and sizes rose from the ground, pointed their sharp ends at Morticon and flew at him full-force. The zombie cyborg's tough skin absorbed most of the attacks, but several of the points pierced his skin and sent dark liquid oozing across his body. Morticon cried out in pain.

"You will hear from me again, Green Magicians!"

"Not likely," Xander quipped, "_Galwit Mysto Tryn_!" A Saint circle, Mahou circle and Legend circle, all outlined in green, collided and trapped Morticon underground yet again. Xander and Makito turned back, snapped their fingers and declared together...

"Checkmate!"

Necrolai was surrounded by four magicians – the two Blues and the two Pinks. Vida waved her Magi Staff above her head. "Fairy Wings – go!" Her cape billowed outward into the gossamer wings and sent a tornado of wind in Necrolai's direction. Houka, as an electric fan, blew her in the other direction, right into a double-spray of water by Madison and Urara.

"Houka…" spoke Legend MagiPink.

"…and Urara Ozu!" finished Legend MagiBlue.

"Vida…" said the Pink Mystic Ranger.

"…and Madison Rocca!" added the Blue Mystic Ranger.

"Magical Sisters…" the four spoke as one, "Super Beautiful Attack Formation! _Mysto Jii Luludo_!"

Houka and Madison spun their DialRod and Magi Staff clockwise while Urara and Vida rotated theirs counterclockwise. They placed their weapons, tips aglow, together and thrust their arms outward. At the point where the staves met shot out a waterspout with a ribbon of pinkish-blue energy in the center.

The ribbon bound Necrolai tight as the waterspout pounded against her body. Her fingernails extended into claws just in time for her to cut herself free. The battle, however, had been exhausting. Necrolai, panting, turned to the four Rangers and shook her fist angrily. "You win this battle! But someday, I swear, I WILL get you for this!" Necrolai, in a flash of cold wind and dark energy, vanished to the underworld. The girls to hit the "Checkmate!" pose and celebrated joyously.

"Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode!"

"_Goo Majiiro_! DialRod Bow Gun!"

The Dragon Keeper was confronted with the Yellow Magicians. He held out his staff and chanted his own spell. "Mee Uzaara!" His staff was engulfed in an eerie green-black smoke and assumed the shape of a crossbow made from dark, gnarled wood. A black crystal topped the weapon. "Dragon Crossbow! Everything you can do, magicians, I can equal."

"_MAGIBOLT_!" Tsubasa held his DialRod Bow Gun to the sky and watched lightning gather at the firebird-head tip. The electrical energy was released in a powerful burst that the Keeper easily blocked with a shot from his own weapon. Chip fired a barrage of electrical bolts from his own crossbow, but they were to no effect.

"Dragon Arrow," spoke the Keeper coldly, "Fire." A black-green projection of the deadly beast fired from the bow and wrapped itself around Chip and Tsubasa. The grip was cold, compressing and draining. Had this been before the quest, it would've been enough to possibly finish off the two. But that wasn't the case. Chip's exuberant energy, like lightning, began to spark and broke him and his counterpart from the bind.

"YEEEEAH!" Chip screamed, "Take that!"

"How…how did you…do that?"

"COURAGE, BABY? Replied the Yellow Mystic Ranger, "Tsubasa, come on! Mysto!" he freed Tsubasa from the spell with a spark of lightning. The two Yellows moved into position. Chip held his Magi Staff Crossbow above his head and, like Xander before him, performed a spell well beyond his level. Tsubasa smiled happily under his visor.

"_GOO MAJIKA_! Lightning Storm!" Lightning spread across the Magi Staff Crossbow and Chips' body. For a brief second an image of the Bow of Volgel appeared over the Magi Staff, and Chip let loose with his attack. Lightning bolts extended from the tip of his weapon like the tendrils of a monster and crawled over the Dragon Keeper's body. The Keeper screamed in pain and muttered "Ryuu Ryujira!" just before he would've been terminated.

"Checkmate!" proclaimed the Yellow Magicians. They may not have defeated the Dragon Keeper yet, but they had won this round; that was good enough for them.

Nick and Kai were facing the powered-up Koragg on a distant rocky shore by the beach. Nick was going at the dark magician full-force, but Kai oddly held back. Nick jumped away from a "Wolf Attack!" launched from Koragg's shoulders and asked Kai why he wasn't as active as he had been in previous fights. The beach fell silent except for the crashing of the waves.

"If we are as alike as I suspect," Kai mused, "this 'Koragg' may be your father. We don't want to kill him."

"Are you talkin' craziness, Ozu?" Nick spat back, "There is no way Koragg is my old man!"

"Very well," Kai said, "If that is what you wish. _MAAJI GOLU MAJIKA_! BLAZING STORM!"

A fireball appeared at the tip of Kai's DialRod. He immediately threw the sphere outward at Koragg and watched the knight be blown away by the combustion that followed. Nick turned to Kai once more. "I think I did that once…" he said in shock, "it has a name? Blazing Storm?"  
"Yes," Kai said, "My father's technique."

"But Koragg seems…different," Nick spoke, "I don't think it damaged him like it did before."

"And you'd be right," laughed Koragg as he stood up and pointed the tip of his blade at the two Red Magicians, "The Dragon Keeper himself has imbued me with a greater power than ever before. I can feel it within me. DRAGON ATTACK!" From his golden shoulder pads launched two purplish-blue dragon projections. Kai blocked one with his DialRod, but Nick, unable to dodge, took the second one to his chest.

"NICK!" Kai exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Koragg did this to me…" Nick breathed heavily, "I won't stand for that. As long as this magic is alive within me. As long as I believe. As long as I have courage. I CAN NOT LOSE!" Nick held his Magi Staff Sword outward and had his entire body engulf in flame. He leapt into the air and added to his war cry. "I SUMMON THE FIRE OF THE PHOENIX!"

Kai, sensing Nick's true acceptance of courage, followed. "_Golu Golu Golu Majika_!" he chanted. Kai and Nick's bodies merged together into a phoenix-shaped mass of scarlet flame that flew past Koragg to the words of "Red Fire Phoenix Storm!" Koragg's armor was charred. Some of his purple had worn off or changed to black beneath. He was down, but not beaten. Nonetheless, the Reds spoke the word of "Checkmate!"

All ten Rangers, Koragg, and the Dragon Keeper reunited at the cliff side where the battle had begun. Nick pointed a finger at the remaining soliders of the underworld. "You think you're so tough?" Nick laughed, "Well, who's the tough ones now, Koragg? Ozu, finish them. May as well let you guys get in one last hurrah before we have Udonna and Clare return you home."

"Arigatou, Nick," Kai nodded, "Nii-chan, nee-chan!" All dialed "2" on their DialRods and placed them in formation. The Ozu siblings chanted a spell they had done many times before.

"_Jii Golu MagiBolt_! LEGEND FINISH!" From the point where the five DialRods met came a beam of light tremendous in size. Koragg and the Keeper stood oddly calm. The beam struck and created an explosion around the two that no man could survive unscathed. Kai and his siblings turned around, snapped their fingers, and spoke their traditional "Checkmate!" They had done so too soon.

Koragg had absorbed the explosion into his fist and compressed it down to nothing. Xander, Vida, Madison, Chip and Nick gasped.

"HOW!" Chip asked.

"We're stronger than that," the Keeper explained, "It will take more than one team of magicians to defeat us."

"But how can we help?" Nick wondered, "We don't have half the experience the Magiranger do…"

Kai felt something rise in his heart. It was a familiar feeling. He looked down to see his DialRod sparkling with magical energy. The same was happening to the Mystic Rangers' Magi Staffs. Kai and Nick faced each other and spoke the same thing, albeit in different languages.

"Atarashii no jumon…"

"A new spell…"

"It's from Magitopia," Kai said, "for your courage to want to help us, even thought you didn't know how. Such courage must be rewarded."

"Then let's put it to use," Nick slammed his fist into his palm, "Everyone, one more time!"

The Magiranger dialed "2" while the Mystic Rangers swung their Magi Staffs in a circular motion. Kai and the others took their usual positions while Nick and his fellow Rangers took a spot in the formation opposite their counterparts. The bottom tips of five Dial Rods and five Magi Staffs were held close together. The new spell, borne of courage and heroism, sounded louder than any spell before it, and likely any spell that would follow.

"_JII GOLU NERMAX MAGIBOLT_!" The voice of the heavens echoed the spell in a slower, calmer tone. "_Jii Golu Nermax MagiBolt_…"

"SUPER…" Kai and Nick started.

"LEGEND FINISH!"

Another Mahou-circle-within-a-Legend-circle appeared behind the Rangers. Energy gathered in the center and burst outward. It had the shape of an "M", and when it struck Koragg and the Keeper both were sent flying backwards a great distance. They lay motionless on the bottom of the cliff. Silence covered the quarry, and then was broken by an explosion. The ten magicians struck a finishing stance.

"Finishing things earnestly! Magiranger!"

"Mystic Force!"

The Keeper and Koragg were still alive, though. The blast had left them greatly damaged, but not defeated. As they lay on the bottom of the cliff, the Keeper remembered what he had told Koragg earlier. Now was the time to use that secret.

The Keeper leaned towards Koragg's helmet and whispered something in his ear. Koragg dropped his sword to the ground and held his hand forward. Purple energy gathered in his fist. What he was doing was anyone's guess.

"_UTHE RYU ULTIMAS_!"

Koragg was immediately enveloped in a shroud of black energy. He lifted into the air and grew in size. The orb of black energy exploded into purple mist. When the mist faded away something terrifying stood in its place. It was a dragon, covered in golden plates of armor with wings made of purple flame. Its black-scaled head, a golden gem on its forehead and emotionless green eyes, along with Koragg's sword for a tail, made it a sight to behold.

"_Ryuu Ryu Ryugaro_!" the Keeper said as he leapt through a green Madou circle and ascended to giant size. He stood beside Koragg, laughed sinisterly, and explained what the dark knight had just undergone. "Magiranger…Mystic Force…what you see before you is the Dark Fury Dragon. Koragg, with the strength of one of these creatures, and me, are all that stand in your way. Prepare to be crushed into dust beneath our feet."

The Dark Fury Dragon opened its mouth and let loose a stream of purple flame. The Rangers rolled out of the way. Kai yelled "Jinga Golu Majuna!" to create a temporary shield. When the Rangers had found short-lived safety beneath the cliff side, their respective leaders told them the next move. Even without hearing it, everyone had an idea of where the fight was about to go.

"Titan time," Nick commented.

"We'll fight as MagiLegend," Kai commanded, "Now, let's go."

"Anyone not ready?" Xander questioned. Nobody responded. "Good."

Ten Rangers charged outward. Five Mystic Morphers and five DialRods aimed to the heavens to call upon the power of the Mystic Titans and the Majuu. The code "1-2-5" was entered on the Mystic Morphers. Kai dialed "3" on his DialRod while the rest dialed "4". Their next words rang out across the valley.

"_Galwit Mysto Prifior_!"

"_Maaji Golu Majuulu_!"

"_Maaji Jiruma Golu Gogoolu_!"


	10. Titan and Legend

**Chapter 10: Titan and Legend**

"_Galwit Mysto Prifior_!"

"_Maaji Golu Majuulu_!"

"_Maaji Jiruma Golu Gogoolu_!"

"Ancient Power, Mystic Titans!"

"Mystic Minotaur!" "Mystic Sprite!" "Mystic Mermaid!" "Mystic Garuda!" "Mystic Phoenix!"

MagiFireBird and MagiLion sounded their names with little but a growl and a screech. There was precious little time to waste, and so the seven magical beasts started their ultimate transformations. The Dragon Keeper turned to Koragg beside him and laughed once more. He was certain that no matter how much power they used they didn't stand a chance.

"Titan Megazord Formation! _Galwit Nermax Mysto Unios_! Titan Megazord!"

"_Maaji Jiruma Golu Jingajin_! Densetsu Gasshin! MagiLegend!"

"Titan Saber!"

"_Jii Golu Jijiru_! Screw Calibur!"

The Titan Megazord summoned a silver sword made of the Phoenix's, Minotaur's and Mermaid's weapons to its side. A weapon with a long, red rod, topped with gold designs and a silver blade, appeared in MagiLion's mouth in a burst of flame. MagiLegend switched its lion claws out for hands and grabbed the Screw Calibur. The two mecha stood side-by-side. Within, the Rangers had assumed their usual positions in their respective chessboard cockpits. The only difference between the Magiranger's and Mystic Force's was that the Ozu siblings had a Legend circle behind them and were controlling with their DialRods.

"It can't be!" the Dragon Keeper said with his mouth agape, "MagiKing and MagiLegend side-by-side? If one exists, the other must not! How is this happening? What is causing these delusions?"

"This is real," Nick said, "Your eyes aren't tricking you at all."

"It's the power of magic!" Kai exclaimed, "It can do anything!"

"No matter what you bring, I'll still win!" the Keeper roared, "Koragg, go!"

Koragg, now the Dark Fury Dragon, launched into the air. Fire from his wings spread to his body before finally gathering in his mouth. A purple fireball streamed for MagiLegend. MagiLegend had the fire from its wings spin onto the top of the Screw Calibur. The Magiranger counteracted Koragg's fire breath with the recitation of one spell they had used many a time before.

"Magical Climax! Screw Calibur, Fire Tornado!" MagiLegend thrust the Screw Calibur forward, sending a spinning wind of flame in Koragg's direction. Koragg's already flaming wings were unaffected by the blast, but the Keeper's armor was singed. In frustration the Keeper focused his attacks on the Titan Megazord.

"_ZAZADO_!" A single greenish-black dragon made of magical energy launched towards the Titan. From atop his chess piece, Chip screamed "It's going to hit us!" He held his Magi Staff close to his heart and saw the Titan Megazord's wings fold inward to absorb the blast. The Keeper arched his eyebrow. They had survived. Again.

"Ancient Power!" the Titan Saber rotated about in the air and created the image of a Mystic circle in front of the wizard Megazord, "Mystic Spell Seal!" The seal began to glow; the Titan Megazord's wings extended outward, and, with a final steely sound, the Titan Saber cut through the seal and sent a crescent of magical energy at the Dragon Keeper. The Keeper's staff was sent flying from his hands. It embedded itself into the cliff side and shrunk back to its normal size.

"KORAGG!" hissed the dragonmancer, "Finish them! NOW!" Koragg the Fury Dragon swooped across the skies and opened his mouth. Another stream of purple-black fire was sent in the direction of the two Megazods. The Magiranger knew what to do. They called on the courage within them and activated the second of their attacks performable with the Majin of Miracles. All the Mystic Rangers could do was idle by as their other selves worked.

"_Maaji Jiruma Golu Gojika_! Screw Calibur, Fire Slash!" Fireballs shot from MagiLegend's shoulders as the silver blade of the Screw Calibur turned red-hot. The mighty blade was lowered and made a burning gash in Koragg's side. It had pierced his golden armor and thrown off his sense of direction. Koragg spiraled out of control and landed on the ground. MagiLegend and the Titan Megazord regrouped.

"It ends here, Keeper," Nick said excitedly, "We'll finish him together."

"Anytime you're ready, Russell-san," Kai replied.

The voices of ten magicians rose over the horizon. "MAGICAL CLIMAX!"

The steel of the Titan Saber and the melded-hot blade of the Screw Calibur touched. Flames covered the two living mecha's bodies as Kai, Nick and their siblings and friends spoke aloud the name of the attack.

"Ancient Power…" Nick began.

"Magical Climax…" Kai added.

"SAINT FIRE!"

A Saint circle launched from where the blades met. It was a seal made of fire itself, shining a brilliant red-gold. The Saint circle slammed into the Dragon Keeper's chest and spread across his body. With his dying breath the Keeper yelled to the magicians – "Remember my words! The Supreme Master has my power, and he shall be vict…"

An explosion followed. Ten voices spoke as one – "Checkmate!" as the Titan Megazord and MagiLegend turned around triumphantly. Koragg lost his dragon form and regained his normal appearance. His shield returned to his hand, and he picked up his sword from the ground. Not one to be taken down this easily, Koragg pointed his hands to the ground and called forth his primary giant power. Nick knew it all too well.

"_Uthe Mejor Catastros_!" A dark magic seal appeared on the ground as Catastros came galloping outward. Koragg leapt through another seal and grew in size himself. "_Uthe Mejor Ultimas_!" Catastros folded up into the familiar suit of armor worn by champions of fire. Koragg held his shield out in front of him and entered into the suit. "Centaurus Wolf Megazord!"

"WolKaiser!" Kai exclaimed.

"No, it isn't," Nick replied, "well, for you it is…"

"Master's Power, Dark Magic Spell Seal!" Koragg traced the symbol of darkness in front of his mecha form and cut towards the two Megazords. Just before he performed the maneuver again, a blast of fire made him drop his weapon from his head. Three heads on three mecha turned to see something streaking across the horizon.

Travelion, streaming through a hole in the dimensions, arrived over the Briarwood forest. Koragg picked up his weapon and created another Dark Magic Spell Seal that knocked the ten Rangers out of their giant forms. Kai, Nick and the rest stared from the ground to see three figures leap from Travelion and land on the cliff side.

"Who dares interrupt me in the middle of a battle?" Koragg roared. Three voices, all sounding mature, calm and in control, spoke spells one by one. To the Magiranger, every spell sounded familiar.

"Tenkuu seijia yo, ware ni mahou no chikara wo!"

"Tenkuu Henshin! _Goolu Golu Goludiiro_!"

"Chou Tenkuu Henshin! _Goolu Golu Golu Goludiiro_!"

"Mahou Henshin! _Maaji Maji Majiiro_!"

"Is that Udonna?" Nick asked.

"Can't be," Chip replied, "Koragg has her Snow Staff, remember?"

"Then it's…" Tsubasa exclaimed, "Kaa-san!"

"Hikaru!" Urara cheered.

"Dad!" Kai said, "You found us!"

One by one the three elder Rangers performed their roll calls.

"Kagayaku taiyou no elemento! Tenkuu Yuusha – MAGISHINE!"

"Takeru rekka no elemento! Tenkuu Yuusha – WOLZARD FIRE!"

"Kirameki koori no elemento! Shiro no mahou tsukai – MAGIMOTHER!"

"Afureru yuuki wo mahou ni kaeru! Mahou Sentai…MAGIRANGER!"

A Saint circle appeared behind the three as a tricolor explosion went off behind them. Hikaru leapt into Travelion while Miyuki grew to giant size in an icy wind. Isamu stayed behind and held out his hand behind him. Clearly he had something bigger in mind for the fight against Koragg.

"_Maaji Maji Majika_!"

"Mahou Henge! Goo _Goo Goludiiro_! Transformation complete, Mahou Tetsujin Travelion!"

"_Goo Goo Golu Luludo_!" A Saint circle appeared behind Isamu. From it came Unicoron in his horse form. Isamu climbed on and rode the unicorn down the cliff. He and it transformed to their larger states. Isamu turned his head to his son and spoke something that touched Kai's heart.

"Kai…this is for you. Behold the power of a Heavenly Saint! _GOOLU GOLU LUUMA GONGA_! When fire and light becomes one, the Holy Majin appears! Chou Tenkuu Gattai! BraveKaiser!" The formation was exactly like that of the Centaurus Wolf Megazord's, except with Isamu in place of Koragg and Unicoron in place of Catastros. Where The Master's eye shone on Koragg's shield, there was a golden circle with the "M" symbol on Isamu's; Isamu's face was also knightlier in look than Koragg's.

"Koragg the Knight Wolf…" Isamu mused, "You remind me of myself. A side of me that I am glad is long gone. We will not destroy you…not now. I feel there are still things you must learn about yourself. We will, however, let you know what yuuki, the true power of magic, can accomplish. ATTACK!"

"Destruction Fire!" Travelion's boiler cover opened and sent out a stream of flame. Koragg slashed with his javelin and rendered the Magical Express' systems useless. Miyuki called out "_Jii Majiine_!" and launched ice arrows from her MagiStick. Nothing sparked in Koragg. No sense of older self. He remained unaffected. Miyuki turned to Hikaru and uttered "_MAJIINE_!"

Miyuki returned to normal size and powered down. Hikaru leapt from Travelion, now in train form once more, and did the same. Smokey and Mandora followed after. Urara held the MagiLamp close to her heart, and Houka did the same with Mandora Boy's pot. It had been so long since they saw their family. Kai would've been having a cheerful reunion with his mother, but now wasn't the time.

"Uni Javelin!" Isamu said as he held the lance made from Unicoron to the "M" symbol in his shield, "Faiyaa…Tenkuu…Mahou…SLASH!" A golden-red Saint circle was traced in front of BraveKaiser. Koragg had drawn his own Dark Magic Spell Seal by this time, but it was useless against Isamu's own slash of fire and light as one. The blast was enough to separate Koragg and Catastros from one another and power the Knight Wolf down to his normal size.

Isamu leapt from Unicoron and held his WolSaber to the helmet of his almost identical adversary. "_Luuma Golu Goludo_!" he proclaimed. Two wolves made of red flame shot from the "M" in his shield and knocked Koragg onto his back. Isamu held his sword out and waited for a response. Koragg stood still, held his hands to the ground, and spoke in turn to Wolzard Fire.

"You fight well," he said, "For now, I return to the underworld. But I WILL remember this meeting…Bragel, and should our paths cross again, I will show no mercy. _Uthe Sasastos_!" A dark magic seal appeared beneath Koragg and teleported him away to the underworld. Isamu snapped his fingers and declared "Checkmate!" before speaking "_Goludo_" to power down to himself.

"How did you find us?" Kai asked.

"Traveling across multiple dimensions," Hikaru said, "We saw some weird alternate realities, but the signals from here most closely matched our own."

"In one dimension, I and Urara are in a….well, relationship," Smokey said, "and in another, everyone was opposite the gender they are…and…well, catgirl me was nice…"

"Smokey, we can tell them later," Hikaru said, "but for now…"

"Finishing things earnestly, Magiranger!" spoke the eight in unison as the Mystic Rangers looked on. Nick pointed towards the dragon's-head not far off and invited the others into the Rootcore.

Just before they left, the troblin known as Phineas walked up, glanced at the thirteen gathered Rangers, one plant and one magical cat, and walked away muttering to himself.

"Phineas, wait!" Nick called.

"I must be seein' things," Phineas said to himself, "it's not like there are OTHER Rangers out there….who have the exact same suits….and the exact same morphers. No, ol' Phineas must be going crazy."

"They're real," Nick said, out-of-breath, as he ran to the troblin's side. "They're about as real as I can get."

"Well, then whaddaya know?" Phineas spoke aside to no one in particular, "I forgot to introduce myself."

Nick answered nervously, "Yeah…it's probably too late to do that. Later!" Nick ran back to his friends, who were now being led by Chip in the direction of the Rootcore.


	11. Undeniable Proof

**Chapter 11:** **Undeniable Proof**

"You're alive!" Clare exclaimed as the group entered, "So, did you beat the Dragon Keeper out there?"

"Him and the rest of his army," Nick chuckled.

"…who are they?" asked Clare as she arched an eyebrow.

"Ozu Miyuki and Ozu Isamu," Miyuki said, "This is Mandora Boy, Smokey and Hikaru. Who would you be?"

"I am the sorceress Udonna," said the white witch as she bowed, "this is my assistant, Clare." Clare walked over to shake Miyuki's hand, but stumbled as she walked past the table. She chuckled and finally managed to introduce herself to Udonna's other self and her husband. Merriment was had by all until Hikaru blew into a whistle to break the chatter.

"Everyone," he said as he looked down at the Xenotome, "You have all grown as magicians on this journey, and, as such, I have an offer to make. The Magical Express Travelion waits outside these doors, and, since we have seen the Rootcore and your world, I invite you…Nick, Chip, Madison, Vida, Xander, Udonna, and Clare, to see our world. Travelion boards now. What do you think?"

"That would be AWESOME!" Chip exclaimed.

"I'm in," Madison said.

"If you're goin', so am I, sis," Vida answered.

"I'd like to see your Rootcore," Xander said to Houka, "Must be nice."

"Sure, I'll go," Nick replied, "You have to know where you came from to know where you're going."

"I would be honored," Udonna said.

"Sure, sounds cool," Clare remarked, "So, where's Travelion?"

"Just past these doors," Isamu pointed to the elevator.

The Rootcore became entirely empty. Phineas saw the golden train lift into the sky, as did Toby when he walked out of the Rockporium. Travelion had its destination in mind as it increased in speed until; finally, it blasted across the dimensions and into Platform 0. "We have arrived at the Magic Room, Ozu Family household," Smokey said over the loudspeaker, "all passengers may now exit the train."

* * *

The Mystic Rangers watched their step as they exited Travelion's car and walked through the polished wooden double doors into the Magic Room hidden away in the Ozu family home. It was like the Rootcore in its basic design, but much…simpler; more peaceful. Shelves of books lined the walls, and, like the Rootcore, there was a large central table. The wood was lighter-colored than the Rootcore's, and probably was the reason for the atmosphere.

Udonna noticed a small crystal ball perched on a pillow on a desk. An angel-shaped music box was beside it, and various portraits lined the walls, along with the five brooms that became the Sky Hokis and five banners with the appropriate Ranger colors and symbols on them. Mandora and Smokey flew to the table. The mandrake turned on the antique record player beside him and began to sing.

_Always in front, the color of bravery and determination, the color red_

_Blue, pink and yellow following_

_Pulling along the green color at the end_

Smokey and Mandora sang in rousing chorus to the ten young magicians and lifted their spirits after the battle they had just endured.

_These five…_

_Each of them possesses courage!_

_Together there's no job too big for them to do!_

Madison smiled, applauded the singing duo, and raced to the bookshelves. She pulled down a book titled _32 Basic Charms: Spells for Everyday Use_ and began flipping through the pages. The others took a cue from Madison and began to see what secrets the Ozu library held. A grin crossed Miyuki's face. "Let them explore. Their time here must be short."

Vida became engrossed in _The Magic of Music_, Xander was reading _Spells of Love_, Nick was examining _Magical Machines and How to Make Them Work For You_, and Chip, finally, was buried in _Ancient Weaponry: Automatic Swords to Zero-Point Crossbows and Everything In Between._ Tsubasa walked over to Chip and snatched the book from his hand.

"I'm not going to let you near that one," he said. A hearty chuckle came from everyone. Madison magically summoned her video camera and began recording everything she saw in the Magic Room. Urara tapped Madison on the shoulder and asked her what she was doing.

"I'm saving this," Madison answered, "I don't know if we'll ever meet you again, so it's best to have it on film so I can cherish these memories forever."

"But…" Urara chimed in, "These things are supposed to remain a secret."

"Everybody!" Smokey called, "Gather around! We're taking a picture, so hurry into the shot!"

Miyuki, Isamu, Hikaru and Udonna were on the top row. The ten magicians took two rows; Clare, Smokey and Mandora Boy just barely managed to squeeze in. Madison's Mystic Morpher, inserted into the old camera, flashed as everyone smiled wildly. "Picture's done!" Smokey said, "Nifty little thing, these phones. Working cameras into them. I'll tell you, magic can do so much nowadays."

"Now that's done with!" Houka said happily, "Why not something for fun?" Houka flipped out the wand of her MagiPhone, pressed a sequence of keys followed by "Enter". Light spiraled outward and over the bodies of the Rangers. "_Jijiru Jiruma Majiiro_!" said a sprightly Houka. When the light finished circling the bodies of the ten magicians, Vida immediately looked down.

She was now in Houka's clothes. The pink plaid jacket, the skirt, the boots…everything; Houka, likewise, was wearing Vida's outfit, complete with the corset worn above the white shirt. The other eight had undergone a similar change. Tsubasa was the first to comment on his new look.

"I like it," he said, "A little dungeon master-ish, but it works."

"Spiffy jacket," Chip said excitedly, "Did you have to wear leather pants, though?"

"Yay!" Houka cheered, "_Jijiru Jiruma Majiine_!" Madison moved her hands to her chest to get one last feel of the plaid jacket, and felt it slip away as she returned to her normal uniform. The Blue Mystic Ranger continued to film for a few more minutes until Udonna informed her apprentices of the sad, but eventual news.

"We must return to our own world, now," she said, "Clare has already started on the preparations."

"Yes," Hikaru said, "Everyone must return home at some point or another. While I do not know if our paths again, I hope you remember us. This has been a fantastic meeting."

A Mahou circle had been drawn on the floor of the room. The five Rangers filed into their appropriate place on the seal, and Clare and Udonna took the center spot. Before they left, Miyuki drew her silver MagiPhone and pointed it at Madison.

"_Majiine Maji Majuna_," she spoke. Madison felt something spark near her shoulder. She looked to Miyuki with a confused look, but the White Magician only nodded and said "It was a necessary precaution." Isamu took his Fire UzaPhone from his pocket and aimed it at the circle holding the Mystic Rangers.

"The time is now," he whispered, "_Goolu…Luuma….Lujuna_." Golden-red light sparked from the UzaPhone's wand tip. The five Ozu siblings, Mandora Boy and Smokey gathered with Miyuki, Isamu and Hikaru as the Mahou circle shone aglow with light. Blinding radiance spread through the Magic Room, and when it had faded…the Mystic Rangers stood in the room no more. "They're back in their own world," Isamu said contemplatively, "and all is right with the worlds again."

* * *

Two days later, Madison had called the citizens of Briarwood out to the Rockporium. Her video camera was hooked up to a large TV Toby had placed between the music racks, and rows of chairs were lined up along the floor. A banner outside read "Magicians in Briarwood? A Documentary by Madison Rocca. One Night Only." Chip, taking tickets at the door, paid witness to one very particular visitor.

"Leelee?" Chip asked.

"Can't wait to see the show," Leelee smirked as she took her seat, "I always knew strange things were going on in this town."

"Sit down and enjoy," Chip nervously chuckled.

Madison pressed the "Play" button on her camcorder. She had been taping Houka and Urara's antics at the Rockporium the other day (which included several uses of magic under Toby's nose) and decided, along with Vida, to present the video to the town as a way to justify recent events. Hikaru's parting words had let them that their meeting with the Ozu siblings would likely never happen again, and their identities wouldn't be composed. Madison had chosen her moments carefully.

The screen flickered on. Madison expected to be showing video of Houka transforming herself into her boombox form, but nothing showed. The video stayed focused on the counter, but showed nothing of Houka. No images, no sounds, not even her shadow. Miyuki's parting words repeated in Madison's mind. "It was a necessary precaution."

"This is SUCH a gyp!" spoke snobby Leelee, "I was expecting to see these 'magicians', but all I get is the counter. If I wanted that, I'd stand here all day looking at YOU losers." The audience stood up and, being led by Leelee, left the Rockporium. Madison agreed to meet up with Vida, Xander, Chip and Nick at the Rootcore that night. She had to think about why her documentary didn't go through.

* * *

"The spell Miyuki performed was _Majiine Maji Majuna_," Udonna explained, "It deleted all traces of them from your video camera. To reveal their identities, in any form, would be potentially damaging to the fabric of the universe." Madison looked as though she was about to cry. Meeting the Magiranger had been the best thing to happen to them. She didn't want it all to go away like that.

Madison opened her Mystic Morpher and saw, still in the camera function's memory, the group picture they had taken with the Ozu family. Madison sent the picture to a magical device that could reproduce any image. The group photo appeared on the device. Madison picked it up and asked Udonna to conjure a frame. She hung the photo just above the table where the five sat for their lessons.

"Even if we don't see them again," Madison spoke, "They'll be in our memories."

"We just have to remember what they taught us," Vida added, "It was good we got to know them."

"Magic, it is a sacred power," Chip began.

Xander continued, "Magic, it is an adventure into the unknown."

Nick stepped up and placed his hands around Madison and Vida's shoulders, while Chip did the same with just Madison and Xander with just Vida. The five, with Udonna and Clare, looked up at the photo hanging above the wall. The smiling faces of themselves, Smokey, Mandora Boy and the Magiranger reflected back at them. Chip could swear he saw Tsubasa wink at him. Nick took a deep breath, contemplated on the image, and spoke the final words of the magicians' creed.

"Magic…and it is a sign…of courage."

**THE END**


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